Integrating\nAerogel into van der Waals Crystals for\na High-Strength Thermal Insulator

Achieving low thermal conductivity\nand high mechanical\nstrength\npresents a material design challenge due to intrinsic trade-offs,\nsuch as the aerogel’s porosity, impeding applications in construction,\nindustry, and aerospace. This study presents a composite that incorporates\na silica aerogel within a thermally expanded 2D layered vermiculite\nmatrix. This design overcomes limitations imposed by van der Waals\nbonding lengths, typically less than 10 Å, which hinder aerogel\nintegration with van der Waals crystals. Our method employs a thermal\nspark reaction to expand the vermiculite interlayer space, allowing\naerogel incorporation. This maintains aerogel’s intrinsic low\nthermal conductivity of 29.6 mW m<sup>–1</sup> K<sup>–1</sup>, while enhancing its Young’s modulus to 66.0 MPaa\nmore than 10<sup>3</sup>-fold increase over pure aerogel. The innovative\nembedding of aerogels within van der Waals crystals marks a significant\nadvancement in high-strength insulation technology, paving the way\nfor development in demanding environments that require thermal management\nwithout compromising structural integrity.