Activation–retardation in sol–gel reactions for additive manufacturing of transparent poly(methylsilsesquioxane) aerogels

Coupling superior thermal insulation performance with high transparency for solar transmission and excellent processability in aerogels is a challenging yet promising subject. Here, we report a direct ink writing strategy to create transparent polymethylsilsesquioxane (PMSQ) aerogels from gel inks with desired rheology, by merely using acid-base dual modulators to achieve "activation-retardation" of polycondensation reaction. The printed aerogels are pure PMSQ, have a transmittance of 97% in the visible-near infrared range, thermal conductivity (16.2 mW m<sup>-1</sup> K<sup>-1</sup>) lower than that of still air, and low density (0.08 g cm<sup>-3</sup>). We demonstrate new possibilities of our 3D-printed transparent aerogels, such as device encapsulation for heat insulation and cylindrical cooling shields for lighting.

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Publication Details

Journal
Nature Communications
Published
2025-09-02
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-63356-8
Citations
3
Primary Topic
Aerogels and thermal insulation
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
2.27

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article

Activation–retardation in sol–gel reactions for additive manufacturing of transparent poly(methylsilsesquioxane) aerogels

Yanhua Cheng, Linfeng Chen, Meng-Yue Gao, Xiaoxiao Yu et al.
3 citations
Nature Communications
Aerogels and thermal insulation
2.27
article

Activation–retardation in sol–gel reactions for additive manufacturing of transparent poly(methylsilsesquioxane) aerogels

Yanhua Cheng, Linfeng Chen, Meng-Yue Gao, Xiaoxiao Yu, Weiwei Zuo, Chengjian Xu, Junjie Zheng, Junyan Zhang, Meifang Zhu, Xinhai Zhang
article en
3 citations

Abstract

Coupling superior thermal insulation performance with high transparency for solar transmission and excellent processability in aerogels is a challenging yet promising subject. Here, we report a direct ink writing strategy to create transparent polymethylsilsesquioxane (PMSQ) aerogels from gel inks with desired rheology, by merely using acid-base dual modulators to achieve "activation-retardation" of polycondensation reaction. The printed aerogels are pure PMSQ, have a transmittance of 97% in the visible-near infrared range, thermal conductivity (16.2 mW m<sup>-1</sup> K<sup>-1</sup>) lower than that of still air, and low density (0.08 g cm<sup>-3</sup>). We demonstrate new possibilities of our 3D-printed transparent aerogels, such as device encapsulation for heat insulation and cylindrical cooling shields for lighting.

Nature CommunicationsVol. 16(1)
Donghua University (CN)
National Science Foundation, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Donghua University, State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, National Key Research and Development Program of China, Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities
Openalex Percentile: Top 11%
Aerogels and thermal insulation
2.27
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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