Superior stable, hydrophobic and multifunctional nanocellulose hybrid aerogel via rapid UV induced in-situ polymerization

Abstract

Nanocellulose-based aerogels are potential candidates for the various advanced fields, but the poor structural stability and hydrophily restrains the practical applications. Herein, we report a facile strategy to in-situ polymerizes the polydimethylsiloxane on the anisotropic nanocellulose/chitosan aerogel matrix via UV-induced thiol-ene click reaction in 30 s. A superhydrophobic and elastic nanocellulose-based aerogel with a “stiff-soft” double network structure was fabricated. The inherited porous anisotropic structure and chemical-bonded interlocking interface render the hybrid aerogels with ultralight (9.42 mg/cm3), high porosity (99.29%), and hydrophobicity (contact angle of ~168.0°). Moreover, the hybrid aerogel demonstrated robustness (321 kPa), brilliant elasticity (full recovery from 80% compression), outstanding structure stability (>1000 cycles of compression). The reported strategy paves a new way for fabricating high-performance nanocellulose-based aerogel used for thermal insulation and oil absorption in harsh conditions.