Compressible, Thermally Insulating, and Fire Retardant Aerogels through Self-Assembling Silk Fibroin Biopolymers Inside a Silica Structure-An Approach towards 3D Printing of Aerogels.

ABSTRACT: Thanks to the exceptional materials properties of silica aerogels, this fascinating highly porous material has found high-performance and real-life applications in various modern industries. However, a requirement for a broadening of these applications is based on the further improvement of the aerogel properties, especially with regard to mechanical strength and postsynthesis processability with minimum compromise to the other physical properties. Here, we report an entirely novel, simple, and aqueous-based synthesis approach to prepare mechanically robust aerogel hybrids by cogelation of silk fibroin (SF) biopolymer extracted from silkworm cocoons. The synthesis is based on sequential processes of acid catalyzed (physical) cross-linking of the SF biopolymer and simultaneous polycondensat

SUBMITTER: Maleki H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6513757 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature