3D Hierarchical Architecture Research Articles

Controlled synthesis of 3D pseudocubic Fe2O3/BiFeO3 heterojunction photocatalyst for effective ciprofloxacin-HCl and methyl orange degradation

Nano-particle-based Iron (III) oxide (Fe2O3) and nanosheet-based bismuth ferrite (BiFeO3) photocatalysts were successfully prepared through a solid-state thermal decomposition approach. Especially, loading BiFeO3 over Fe2O3 demonstrated a 3D pseudocubic-based hierarchical architecture of Fe2O3/BiFeO3 (FeBiOx), which exhibits enhanced photodegradation efficiency of about 98.3 % for antibiotic ciprofloxacin-HCl (C-HCl) and 97.8 % for pollutant methyl orange (MO) under ultraviolet (UV) light irradiation within 180 and 150 min, respectively, compared to pure BiFeO3 and Fe2O3. The improved photocatalytic performance of FeBiOx was ascribed to the increased surface area, Type-II charge transfer scheme, effective charge migration efficiency induced by the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect of metal-Bi, and reduced bandgap energy.

Thin thickness electromagnetic wave absorbent: Fe3O4 decorated carbon nanofibers composite with designable 3D hierarchical architecture

Designable 3D hierarchical architecture with multi-component heterostructure has been built to form a connected network by fully utilizing the advantages of one-dimensional carbon nanofibers. Fe3O4 decorated carbon nanofibers, which exhibited core-shell microstructures, were successfully prepared by solvothermal and electrospinning technology. Their electromagnetic wave absorption (EWA) performances were explored. The morphology which determined the electromagnetic (EM) parameters can be controlled by adjusting the mass ratio of the raw material. The Fe3O4 decorated carbon nanofibers composite showed an excellent absorbing capability. At a thickness of 2.5 mm, the minimum reflection loss (RLmin) value was −28.28 dB. In particular, the widest effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) can reach up to 2.96 GHz at 1.5 mm. It was more surprising that the effective absorption (RL ≤ −10 dB) occurred when the thickness was only 1.0 mm. The absorption mechanism study revealed that the connected structure facilitated the formation of conductive networks, leading to conductive loss, multiple reflection and scatterings, and interfacial polarization loss. The defects that created during carbonization process enhanced the dipole polarization. The generated magnetic loss which mainly consisted of natural resonance and exchanged resonance loss enhanced the attenuation of EW. Moreover, good impedance matching resulting from the synergistic effect of composition and unique porous network also played an important role. The little filler loading and the thin thickness make the composite have a high EWA performance, which is promising for EWA applications.

Engineering hierarchical heterostructure material based on multiwalled carbon nanotubes/SnO2 nanorod-flowers for high-efficient ammonia detection

The rational manufacturing of multi-component materials with rich heterostructure is emerging as a possible strategy to develop improved carbon nanotube-based gas sensors. Herein, hierarchical heterostructure of multiwalled carbon nanotubes/SnO2 nanorod-flowers (HMCNS) was synthesized by a facile water-bathing combined hydrothermal approach for highly sensitive ammonia detection. Exploration in the microstructure reveals that hierarchical flowers-like SnO2 consisted of nanorods demonstrates a hollow geometry for wrapping multiwalled carbon nanotubes, featuring a unique three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical architecture. Gas sensor based on SnO2@4.5%CNTs hierarchical heterostructure exhibits highly enhanced ammonia-sensing performances, including ultra-high response of 1650 toward 20 ppm ammonia, good selectivity, 250 ppb level detection, and superior long-term stability. The improvement in ammonia sensing capability could be attributed to the peculiar hierarchical architecture and the creation of Mott-Schottky heterostructure which has been strongly validated by electrochemical research. This work will provide a concise and effective avenue to construct hierarchical composite with Mott-Schottky heterostructure for high-performance ammonia gas sensor.

Electrodeposited three-dimensional hierarchical architecture of MgO anchored with Ag nanoparticles for high-performance symmetric supercapacitors

A blossom-like, three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical architecture of MgO anchored with silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) is developed using a simple galvanostatic electrodeposition method. This study shows how electrochemical performance is improved by the incorporation of Ag NPs within a 3D framework. The 3D blossom-like scaffold comprises thin 2D petals, whose porous lace-like patterns provide a large surface area and many channels for the rapid diffusion of electrolyte ions. The anchored Ag NPs increase the electrical conductivity of the MgO structure and enhance redox reactions. An optimum Ag loading of 10 vol% on MgO (MgO@Ag-10) affords a 100-fold enhancement in specific capacitance over that of MgO. This hybrid MgO@Ag-10 electrode on a stainless-steel substrate yields a specific capacitance of 388.6 F.g−1 (134.85 mF.cm−2) at a current density (CD) of 1 mA.cm−2, whereas pure MgO delivers only 3.72 F.g−1 (3.1 mF.cm−2) at the same CD in a three-electrode system. The MgO@Ag-10 electrode also exhibits 88.6 % capacitance retention over 5000 charge–discharge cycles. A symmetric supercapacitor device comprising two MgO@Ag-10 electrodes exhibits a specific capacitance of 42 F.g−1, an energy density of 23.33 Wh.kg−1, and a power density of 8000 W.kg−1 at 4 mA.cm−2 in aqueous KOH.

Fabrication of oxygen-vacancy-adjustable Yb3+/Er3+ co-doped BiOBr 3D flowerlike hierarchical architectures with enhanced photocatalytic activity under broad spectrum (UV/vis/NIR) excitation

A novel Yb3+/Er3+ co-doped BiOBr photocatalyst with 3D flowerlike hierarchical architectures were successfully fabricated through self-assembled process without any templates under hydrothermal conditions, and the structure and properties of the photocatalysts were characterized. The results indicate that Yb3+ ions and Er3+ ions are successfully doped into the lattice of BiOBr, and the as-obtained photocatalyst can respond the NIR light and emit red and green light due to the up-conversion effect of the rare-earth ions. Meanwhile, with co-doped Yb3+/Er3+ ions content increasing, oxygen vacancy concentration in the photocatalyst rises. The oxygen vacancy will form the intermediate energy band, which can decrease the photon energy required for electronical transition, and thus help to utilize the luminous energy generated by up-conversion luminescence. Moreover, the appropriate introduction of defects (oxygen vacancy defect and impurity atom) can further promote the transfer and separation efficiency of photo-generated carriers. Hence, Yb3+/Er3+ co-doped BiOBr photocatalyst exhibits enhanced photocatalytic properties under broad spectrum (UV/vis/NIR) excitation, which is about 4 times as high as that of pure BiOBr.

3D hierarchical microcubic morphological composite and its application for Bi-functional Humidity/Pressure sensing in TENG architecture

Harnessing the power of contact electrification, triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) are a cutting-edge energy technology, where output performance is greatly influenced by the micro/nano scale architectures of triboelectric layers. We present a study on the development of TENG by introducing an advanced 3D hierarchical microcubic morphological structure prepared by simple solution casting method, employing a renewable material, lignin, in combination with eco-friendly polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) matrix. The strategic incorporation of epichlorohydrin (EPCH) as a crosslinker enhances thermal stability, and crosslinking within the lignin/PVA composite (LPC) film. A remarkable outcome of this integration is the emergence of a 3D hierarchical microcubic structure within the LPC film. This structure, with its intricate 3D arrangement, emerges as the cornerstone that underpins the development of LPC-TENGs devices distinguished by their simple fabrication process, elevated output performance, and multifaceted applications. The LPC-TENG, adorned with its unique 3D hierarchical microcubic architecture, establishes new standards in energy harvesting and sensing capabilities with a maximum output power density of 135.4 mWm−2, a short-circuit current of 6.44 μA, and a maximum output voltage of 65 V (5 times higher than PVA-based TENGs). Additionally, the LPC-TENG showed exceptional performance as a self-powered bifunctional sensing system, providing a steady output voltage range of 0–10 V across various humidity levels (20–90 % RH) and a wide usable pressure range (0–162 kPa) with a low detection limit of 1 kPa. We demonstrated the application of the LPC-TENG in energy harvesting from human walking, enabling simultaneous measurements of environmental relative humidity, pressure, and illumination of 27 commercial LEDs. The unique 3D hierarchical microcubic architecture offers an unparalleled foundation for accommodating overall performance and diverse sensing functionalities.

AI-Enabled Materials Design of Non-Periodic 3D Architectures With Predictable Direction-Dependent Elastic Properties.

Natural porous materials have exceptional properties-for example, light weight, mechanical resilience, and multi-functionality. Efforts to imitate their properties in engineered structures have limited success. This, in part, is caused by the complexity of multi-phase materials composites and by the lack of quantified understandingof each component's role in overall hierarchy. This challenge is twofold: 1) computational. because non-periodicity and defects render constructing design guidelines between geometries and mechanical properties complex and expensive and 2) experimental. because the fabrication and characterization of complex, often hierarchical and non-periodic 3D architectures is non-trivial.

Morphological evolution of individual microrods to self-assembled 3D hierarchical flower architectures of CuBixIn1−xSe2 for photo response applications

CuBixIn1−xSe2 3D hierarchical microrod-based flowers were prepared by microwave-mediated method. The morphology tuning for different Bi/In content shows optical and electrical properties variation with better white light photo response applications.

Selective electrooxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural at low working potentials promoted by 3D hierarchical Cu(OH)2@Ni3Co1-layered double hydroxide architecture with oxygen vacancies.

Selective electrooxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) is of great significance in the manufacture of fine chemicals, liquid fuels, pharmaceuticals, plastics, etc., but still suffers from the high potential input, resulting in high electricity consumption. Developing active, low-cost and stable electrocatalysts is crucial for this electrochemical reaction at low working potentials. Herein, a three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical Cu(OH)2@Ni3Co1-layered double hydroxide architecture with abundant oxygen vacancies (Vo) was synthesized by facile electrodeposition of Ni3Co1-LDH nanosheets on copper foam (CF) supported-Cu(OH)2 nanorods (CF/Cu(OH)2@Ni3Co1-LDH) for the selective electrooxidation of HMF to FDCA. The 3D hierarchical architecture of the Cu(OH)2 nanorod core loaded with Ni3Co1-LDH nanosheet shell facilitates the rapid transfer of charges and exposes more active sites. The synergistic effect of the core-shell nanoarray structure, atomic level dispersion of Ni and Co on LDH laminates, and rich Vo gives 98.12% conversion of HMF, 98.64% yield and 91.71% selectivity for FDCA at a low working potential of 1.0 V vs. RHE. In addition, CF/Cu(OH)2@Ni3Co1-LDH exhibits superior stability by maintaining 93.26% conversion of HMF, 93.65% yield and 91.57% selectivity of FDCA after eight successive cycles, showing the immense potential of utilizing electrochemical conversion for biomass.

2D MOF based-heterostructure with hierarchical architecture as antibacterial wound dressing

Bacterial infections pose a huge threat to human health due to the inevitable emergency of drug resistance. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) consisting of metal ions and organic linkers, as emerging efficient antibacterial material, have the merits of structural flexibility and adjustable physicochemical property. With assistance of photosensitive agents as organic linkers, MOFs have great potential in antibacterial application through photocatalytic therapy by the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). However, the limited light use efficiency and short lifespan of ROS are two obstacles for their applications. Inspired by the semiconductor heterostructure in photocatalysis, we rationally design and precisely synthesize MOFs based heterostructures, in which the TiO2 nanoclusters are filled into the pores of Cu-TCPP nanosheets (i.e. TiO2 NCs@Cu-TCPP HSs). And the composite materials possess three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical architectures, which have advantages of large surface area, excellent light-absorbing ability and photocatalytic efficiency. Significantly, this novel material displays >99.99 % antibacterial efficiency against E. coli and S. aureus within 30 min and preserves the excellent antibacterial ability during reusing three times, which is superior to recently reported photocatalystic-based antibacterial materials. Our study provides new insights into the energy band engineering for enhanced antibacterial performance, paving a way for designing advanced clinical wound dressings.

Coordination polymer and layered double hydroxide dual-precursors derived polymetallic phosphides confined in N-doped hierarchical porous carbon nanoflower as a highly efficient bifunctional electrocatalyst for overall water splitting

Controllable construction of proficient electrocatalyst with 3D hierarchical architecture to achieve low cost and high efficient overall water splitting is of great significance to the sustainable development. Hereby, trimetallic phosphides confined in N-doped carbon nanoflowers (CoNiP/CoNiFeP@NCNFs) were fabricated using CoNi coordination polymer nanoflowers/CoNiFe layered double hydroxide (CoNi CPNFs/CoNiFe LDH) as precursors followed by phosphorization. Benefiting from the unique 3D hierarchical porous architecture, preeminent conductivity, high specific surface area, efficient mass/charge transfer and synergic effect of various transition metals, the well-designed CoNiP/CoNiFeP@NCNFs exhibit extraordinary electrocatalytic performance for both oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alkaline media. Particularly, this novel material can work as a bifunctional catalyst in an integrated water-splitting electrolyzer, which only requires a low voltage of 1.55 V to realize the current density of 10 mA cm−2 with admirable durability (at least 28 h). This work certified the foreground of composites assembled by 3D hierarchical porous carbon and polymetallic phosphides for overall water splitting. It also provided a novel proposal for the rational designing and constructing highly active electrocatalysts by using coordination polymer and LDH as dual-precursors.

Exploring the high activity of hierarchical copper oxide nanomaterials: Unveiling the influence of reduced size and enhanced surface area

The development of 3D hierarchical architectures composed of nanometer-sized primary building blocks holds great promise for a wide range of applications. Here, we present a simple synthesis method for hierarchical CuO nanomaterials. HRTEM images revealed that the CuO nanoparticles had a diameter of 4–6 nm and were aggregated to form a hierarchical rod-like morphology. Nitrogen sorption isotherm indicated that the samples possessed high surface areas (125–190 m2/g). The obtained CuO nanomaterials demonstrated remarkable catalytic activity in the reduction of methyl orange, methyl red, and 4-nitrophenol. Furthermore, the CuO nanomaterials exhibited excellent recycling ability, making them highly favorable and efficient catalysts.

Construction of Three-Dimensional Hierarchical CoSe2 Microflowers Assembled by Thin Nanosheets for High-Performance Sodium-Ion Batteries

Transition metal selenides are considered as promising anode materials for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) due to their high capacity and low cost. However, they suffer from large volume change, serious polyselenide dissolution and sluggish reaction kinetics during charge/discharge process, resulting in poor cycling stability and low rate performance for SIBs, which further restrict their widespread application. Here, we developed carbon-free three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical microflower-shaped CoSe2 with a diameter size of approximately 2[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]m, composed of nanosheets through a one-step solvothermal method. The thin nanosheets are conducive to shortening the Na[Formula: see text] diffusion channels and relieving the volume expansion, and the 3D hierarchical microflower architecture could effectively prevent the agglomeration of nanosheets; accordingly, the resulting CoSe2 microflowers deliver a high specific capacity of 451.94[Formula: see text]mA[Formula: see text]h[Formula: see text]g[Formula: see text] even at 0.5[Formula: see text]A[Formula: see text]g[Formula: see text] after 100 cycles, compared with CoSe2 nanoparticles. This work offers an approach for designing metal selenides with high capacities and rate capability for SIBs.

3D flower-branch hierarchical carbon nanofiber/ZnO/TiO2/Ti3C2Tx composites for dramatically enhanced electromagnetic absorbing properties

Series of carbon nanofibers/ZnO/TiO2/Ti3C2Tx composites with 3D flower-branch hierarchical architecture were prepared by a hydrothermal method coupled with electrospinning technique, and used in the field of electromagnetic wave absorption (EWA). The special morphology was formed due to the crystal growth characteristics, in situ oxidation and the interaction of functional groups, which can greatly enhance the interface stability for the co-growth. The morphology, chemical composition, and electromagnetic parameters were characterized, and then the evaluation results of EWA capacity of the materials were obtained. The reasons for the different EWA properties of the series of composites were discussed in detail from aspect of EWA mechanism. Benefitting from the synergistic effect of component design and the unique hierarchical architectures, the composites exhibited dramatically enhanced EWA performance. Especially, the RLmin of ZTC5 reached to −39.6 dB at a thickness of 3.0 mm and the widest effective bandwidth was 6.1 GHz at a thickness of only 2.0 mm. For ZTC16, the RLmin can reach up to −42.48 dB at a thickness of 5.0 mm and its widest effective bandwidth was 2.17 GHz at a thickness of 2.5 mm. Due to the wide EWA bandwidth, thin thickness, and strong absorption capacity, this kind of 3D flower-branch hierarchical material had great potentials in EWA field.

Facile Preparation of SrZr1-xTixO3 and SrTi1-xZrxO3 Fine Particles Assisted by Dehydration of Zr4+ and Ti4+ Gels under Hydrothermal Conditions.

In recent decades, perovskite-type compounds (ABB'O3) have been exhaustively studied due to their unique ferroelectric properties. In this work, a systematic study aiming to prepare fine particles in the binary system SrZrO3-SrTiO3 was conducted under hydrothermal conditions in a KOH (5 M) solution at 200 °C for 4 h under a constant stirring speed of 130 rpm. The precursors employed were SrSO4 powder (<38 μm size) and coprecipitated hydrous gels of Zr(OH)4•9.64 H2O (Zr-gel) and Ti(OH)4•4.5H2O (Ti-gel), which were mixed according to the stoichiometry of the SrZr1-xTixO3 in the compositional range of 0.0 > x > 100.0 mol% Ti4+. The XRD results revealed the formation of two crystalline phases rich in Zr4+, an orthorhombic structured SrZr0.93Ti0.07O3 and a cubic structured SrZr0.75Ti0.25O3 within the compositional range of 0.1-0.5 mol of Ti4+. A cubic perovskite structured solid solution, SrTi1-xZrxO3, was preferentially formed within the compositional range of 0.5 > x > 0.1 mol% Ti4+. The SrZrO3 and SrZr0.93Ti0.07O3-rich phases had particle sizes averaging 3 μm with a cubic morphology. However, a remarkable reduction in the particle size occurred on solid solutions prepared with hydrous Ti-gel over contents of 15 mol% Ti4+ in the reaction media, resulting in the formation of nanosized particle agglomerates with a cuboidal shape self-assembled via a 3D hierarchical architecture, and the sizes of these particles varied in the range between 141.0 and 175.5 nm. The limited coarsening of the particles is discussed based on the Zr-gel and Ti-gel dehydration capability differences that occurred under hydrothermal processing.

Carbonized CMPs Hollow Microspheres-Based Hydrogel Composite Membranes with a Hierarchical Architecture for Efficient Solar-Driven Interfacial Evaporation.

Solar-driven interfacial evaporation (SDIE) with excellent photothermal conversion efficiency is emerging as one of the frontier technologies for freshwater production. In this work, novel carbonized conjugate microporous polymers (CCMPs) hollow microspheres-based composite hydrogel membranes (CCMPsHM-CHM) for efficient SDIE are reported. The precursor, CMPs hollow microspheres (CMPsHM), is synthesized by an in situ Sonogashira-Hagihara cross-coupling reaction using a hard template method. The as-synthesized CCMPsHM-CHM exhibit significantly excellent properties, i.e., 3D hierarchical architecture (from micropore to macropore), superior solar light absorption (more than 89%), better thermal insulation (thermal conductivity as low as 0.32-0.42 W m-1K-1 in the wet state), superhydrophilic wettability with a water contact angle (WCA) of 0°, superior solar efficiency (up to 89-91%), a high evaporation rate of 1.48-1.51 kg m-2 h-1 under 1 sun irradiation, and excellent stability which maintains an evaporation rate of more than 80% after 10 cycles and over 83% evaporation efficiency in highly concentrated brine. In this case, the removal rate of metal ions in seawater is more than 99%, which is much lower than the ion concentration standard for drinking water set by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). Taking advantage of its simple and scalable manufacture, our CCMPsHM-CHM may have great potential as advanced membranes for various applications for efficient SDIE in different environments.

Hierarchical 3D architecture NiCo–layered double hydroxide decorated functionalized halloysite nanotubes composite. An efficient electrocatalyst for ractopamine detection

As a nutrient partitioning agent and a growth stimulator, ractopamine (RCT) enhances the feed efficiency in animal-based food products and further it is employed clinically in certain pharmaceuticals. Subsequently, metabolites of RCT have long shelf life in animals associated with deleterious repercussions in humans. It is thus, vital to develop an effective design for screening method towards RCT detection to ensure human health, food and environmental safety. Thus, we present an integrate electrocatalyst hydrothermally designed by employing NiCo–LDH (NiCo- Layered Double Hydroxides) and F-HNT (functionalized- Halloysite nanotubes) and further utilized in the electrochemical sensing of RCT. The novelty of the present work shed light upon the unique assembly of the two individual NiCo–LDH and F-HNT components with superior structural features that resulted in a hybrid matrix. The outcomes of CV and i-t analysis under optimum conditions demonstrate outstanding electrochemical performance of the NiCo–LDH/F-HNT modified GCE sensor with a wide linear range 0.003–631 μM and low detection limit 1.1 nM, enhanced selectivity towards the detection of RCT. The uniquely engineered electrode material has therefore been applied to quantitate RCT levels in real-world samples in terms of practical applications.

Upcycling of nickel iron slags to hierarchical self-assembled flower-like photocatalysts for highly efficient degradation of high-concentration tetracycline

The utilization of large-volume nickel–iron slags is largely limited by the existence of heavy metal chromium, resulting in a sharply increase environment problem. Here we report a viable strategy to fully convert nickel–iron slags into self-assembled flower-like silicate photocatalysts. Intriguingly, these decent 3D hierarchical architectures made from wild wastes are composed of core–shell structured silicates. In the meanwhile, nearly 100% chromium is extracted from the slags. Due to the high specific surface area and effective metal coordination sites (i.e., Na+, Mg2+ and Ca2+), the as-obtained silicate catalysts exhibit the extraordinary photocatalytic degradation rate (81.7 %) and the mineralization rate (27 %) of high-concentration tetracycline (100 mg/L) after 30-min Xe lamp irradiation, which are higher than those in most previous reports in terms of degradation and mineralization rates of the high-concentration tetracycline. This simple yet robust strategy to craft 3D self-assembled hierarchical flower-like silicate photocatalysts pave a novel way to the large-scale and value-added consumption of waste residues.

KOH-Based Hydrothermal Synthesis of Iron-Rich Titanate Nanosheets Assembled into 3D Hierarchical Architectures from Natural Ilmenite Mineral Sands

The synthesis of titanate nanostructures from low-cost mineral precursors is a topic of continuous interest, considering not only their fundamental aspects but also the benefits of incorporating such nanomaterials in a wide variety of applications. In this work, iron-rich titanate nanosheets were synthesized from Ecuadorian ilmenite sands (ilmenite–hematite solid solution-IHSS) through an alkaline hydrothermal treatment (AHT) using potassium hydroxide (KOH). The effect of the duration of the KOH-AHT was assessed at 180 °C for 24, 48, 72, and 96 h. The morphology evolution over time and the plausible formation mechanisms of titanate nanostructures were discussed. The most significant morphological transformation was observed after 72 h. At this time interval, the titanate nanostructures were assembled into well-defined 3D hierarchical architectures such as book-block-like arrangements with open channels. Based on X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), and scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) analyses, it was determined that these nanostructures correspond to iron-rich layered titanates (Fe/Ti mass ratio of 7.1). Moreover, it was evidenced that the conversion of the precursor into layered nanostructures was not complete, since for all the tested reaction times the presence of remaining IHSS was identified. Our experiments demonstrated that the Ecuadorian ilmenite sands are relatively stable in KOH medium.

Noval green sodium alginate/gellan gum aerogel with 3D hierarchical porous structure for highly efficient and selective removal of Congo red from water

Rational design of adsorbed materials with three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical porous structure, sustainable, high adsorption capacity, and excellent selective is of great significance in practical applications. Herein, a novel aerogel adsorbed material with 3D hierarchical porous architecture was fabricated by employing naturally abundant sodium alginate (SA)/gellan gum (GG) as basic construction blocks to achieve sustainability as well as applying polyethyleneimine (PEI) as functional material for highly efficient and selective capture of Congo red (CR). The aerogel sorbent exhibited strong microstructure, numerous active adsorption sites and being ultralight. The resulting aerogel adsorbent showed high adsorption capacity (3017.23 mg/g) toward CR, exceedingly most previously reported sorbents. Furthermore, the aerogel adsorbent was accompanied by outstanding selectivity for CR in four binary dye systems. Meanwhile, after 3 cycles, the adsorption capacity decreased by 14.8 %, but still maintained the adsorption capacity of 559.79 mg/g. Therefore, excellent adsorption performance, and superb selectivity prefigures its great prospects for wastewater purification.