Aerogels with ultrahigh-temperature super elasticity

Abstract

The practicality of aerogels is adversely restricted with mechanical brittleness and poor elasticity. To address these challenges, a study published in Science by Pang et al. provides a class of dome-celled aerogels that exhibit super elasticity across a wide temperature range: from liquid helium temperatures (4.2 K) to a 2273 K as well as remarkable thermal insulation and chemical versatility. This work redefines what’s possible for aerogel materials under extreme conditions, offering a new paradigm to develop advanced aerogels with super elasticity and ultralow thermal conductivity at ultra-high temperature.