Heterointerfaced PAN/CNTs/Ni aerogel for heat insulation, sound and electromagnetic wave absorption

Electromagnetic pollution poses a significant environmental challenge in modern society due to the proliferation of electronic technology. However, many existing absorbing materials struggle to balance lightweight design, mechanical stability, and adaptability to complex applications. Consequently, a polyacrylonitrile/carbon nanotubes/nickel aerogel (PCN aerogel) has been developed using broken electrospun nanofiber membranes. It offers exceptional compressive strength, microwave absorption, sound absorption, and heat insulation properties, making it suitable for diverse industrial settings. The aerogel's 3D structure is built on polyacrylonitrile nanofibers (PNF), with carbon nanotubes (CNT) forming a conductive network within the 3D framework. The introduction of nickel creates numerous heterogeneous interfaces, enhancing interface polarization, while CNT surface defects contribute to dipole polarization. This design results in a minimum reflection loss (RL_min) of −40.11 dB at a thickness of 3.8 mm and effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of 3.2 GHz. Due to 3D porous structure and the assembly of multidimensional nanomaterials, the PCN aerogel exhibits robust heat insulation and sound absorption characteristics. It maintains structural integrity at 150 °C, achieving effective infrared stealth, with an average sound absorption coefficient (SAC) reaching a maximum of 0.55.