Flexible TiO2/SiO2 nanofibrous membrane with high near-infrared reflectance for thermal insulation

Abstract

In this study, we successfully fabricated TiO2/SiO2 ceramic nanofibrous membranes with different molar ratios using a combination of electrospinning and sol-gel technology. The resulting nanofibers were composed of amorphous SiO2 and fine-grained anatase; the amorphous SiO2 served as a lubricating zone and refined the rutile grains in the nanofiber structure. The hybrid nanofibrous membranes exhibited exceptional mechanical properties: the highest average tensile strength was 3.22 ± 0.98 MPa, which is threefold higher than that of the TiO2 nanofibrous membranes. Consequently, the TiO2/SiO2 nanofibrous membranes withstood stretching, bending, folding, and compressing processes without breaking. Furthermore, the average reflectance of the TiO2/SiO2 nanofibrous membranes exceeded 89.57% in the range of 500–2500 nm, and their thermal conductivity at room temperature was below 0.0310 W·m − 1K−1. The flexible and robust ceramic materials have significant potential for various applications such as thermal insulation, flexible energy, and wearable electronics.