Ceramic Nanofibers Research Articles

High-Temperature-Resistant Dual-Scale Ceramic Nanofiber Films toward Improved Air Filtration.

Currently, air pollution primarily arises from industrial emissions, coal combustion, and automobile exhaust, posing significant challenges for mitigation. This highlights the urgent need for advanced and efficient filtration materials with low pressure drop and high-temperature resistance. Traditionally, improving filtration property has involved increasing the thickness of the filtration materials, which consequently leads to higher costs. Here, dual-scale mullite nanofiber (MNF) films containing interwoven thick nanofibers (606 nm) and thin nanofibers (186 nm) are prepared using solution blow spinning. The dual-scale structure design enables the films to maintain a low pressure drop while achieving high filtration efficiency. At an airflow velocity of 5.3 cm s-1, the films with an areal density of 3.8 mg cm-2, achieve a filtration efficiency of 98.23% and a pressure drop of 141 Pa for PM0.3. In addition, the MNF films exhibit excellent flexibility and high-temperature resistance, making them have great potential for use in high-temperature flue gas filtration.

Nanofibers endow NASICON-type Na3.3La0.3Zr1.7Si2PO12 electrolyte/Na4MnCr(PO4)3 cathode excellent electrochemical properties

All-solid-state sodium-ion batteries (ASSSIBs) using composite polymer electrolytes (CPEs) are promising candidates for addressing the high cost, safety issues, and limited energy density of traditional lithium-ion batteries. The microstructure and morphology of active ceramic filler and cathode seriously affect the construction of ion/electron transport channels and electrochemical performance, while the contact tightness at the electrode/CPE interface determines the release of energy storage performance in ASSSIBs. Here, NASICON-type Na3.3La0.3Zr1.7Si2PO12 (NLZSP) ceramic nanofibers (NFs) and Na4MnCr(PO4)3@C (NMCP@C) NFs are prepared via electrospinning. NLZSP long NFs (L-NFs) can be uniformly dispersed in PVDF-HFP using ultrasonic treatment to create rapid ion transport pathways within the ceramic and polymer/ceramic interphases, enabling the CPE to achieve high ionic conductivity of 3.36 × 10−4 S·cm−1, wide electrochemical stability window (ESW) exceeding 5 V, low activation energy (Ea) of 0.28 eV and sodium-ion transference number (TNa+) of 0.65 at room temperature. Meanwhile, NMCP@C NFs can enhance electron conductivity and reduce the sodium ion migration path, and finally achieve a superhigh specific capacity (161 mAh·g−1) and energy density (534 Wh·kg−1) at 0.1C. Additionally, the integrated NMCP@C/CPE structure is incorporated into NMCP@C/CPE//Na solid state sodium metal batteries (SMBs), which exhibits excellent rate performance and high capacity retention of 78.8 % at 1C (1.4–4.3 V) and 70.5 % at 0.5C (1.4–4.6 V) after 200 cycles. This study offers valuable insights into constructing high-performance ASSSIBs.

Preparation of catalytic ceramic nanofiber membranes with MnFe dual-active sites enhancing catalytic ozonation of sulfamethoxazole

Membrane-based catalytic ozonation has recently attracted significant attention for its simultaneous boosted contaminant degradation and separation. In this work, catalytic ceramic nanofiber membranes ((MnFe0.05)@CNM) with MnFe dual-active site are prepared by anchoring FeOx nanoparticles onto Mn@CNM via an impregnation and in-situ precipitation method. The (MnFe0.05)@CNM coupled with catalytic ozonation was applied to the degradation of sulfamethoxazole (SMX), achieving a removal rate of up to 99.2 %. The catalytic degradation of SMX is verified by reactive oxygen species (ROS) quenching and EPR detection experiments, which shows that the 1O2, ·OH and O2·- are involved. Furthermore, (MnFe0.05)@CNM demonstrates superior catalytic stability, redox properties, and an abundance of acidic sites, as are revealed by H2-TPR and NH3-TPD analysis. The boosted performance is attributed to the synergistic catalysis by Mn and Fe bimetals under nano-confinement effect of membrane pores through facilitated electron transfer between Mn2+, Mn3+, Mn4+, Fe2+, and Fe3+, and promoting the decomposition of ozone and the generation of ROS. The nano-confinement effect of (MnFe0.05)@CNM also reduces the mass transfer distance between ROS and SMX, promoting ROS to attack the SMX molecules. This study presents a novel approach to developing catalytic ceramic membranes for the enhanced degradation of emerging contaminants in water.

Regulating the concentration of silica sol to prepare high thermal insulation ceramic nanofiber aerogel composites

Abstract Ceramic aerogels can maintain excellent thermal insulation performance under extreme conditions due to their outstanding pore structure and specific surface area. However, the current application of ceramic aerogels is limited by their brittleness, easy collapse of the structure under external forces, and insufficient mechanical properties. In this study, ceramic nanofiber aerogels prepared by PEO as a polymer were used as building blocks, and silica sol was selected as a high-temperature binder. Through the sol impregnation-atmospheric pressure drying method and calcination treatment, we obtained ceramic nanofiber composites with excellent performance. It is found that when the impregnation concentration is 0.4wt%, the thermal conductivity at room temperature is as low as 27 m W·m-1·K-1, the cold surface temperature at 800°C is as low as 255°C, the tensile strength at 20% tensile strain is as high as 400 kPa, and the compressive strength at 80% compressive strain is as high as 32 kPa. Compared with the traditional ceramic fiber aerogel material, the material exhibits excellent high-temperature insulation performance and mechanical properties, which greatly broadens the application scene of ceramic aerogel.

Tailoring Practical Solid Electrolyte Composites Containing Ferroelectric Ceramic Nanofibers and All-Trans Block Copolymers for All-Solid-State Lithium Metal Batteries.

Ion transport efficiency, the key to determining the cycling stability and rate capability of all-solid-state lithium metal batteries (ASSLMBs), is constrained by ionic conductivity and Li+-migration ability across the multicomponent phases and interfaces in ASSLMBs. Here, we report a robust strategy for the large-scale fabrication of a practical solid electrolyte composite with high-throughput linear Li+-transport channels by compositing an all-trans block copolymer PVDF-b-PTFE matrix with ferroelectric BaTiO3-TiO2 nanofiber films. The electrolyte shows a sustainable electromechanical-coupled deformability that enables the rapid dissociation of anions with Li+ to create more movable Li+ ions and spontaneously transform the battery internal strain into Li+-ion migration kinetic energy. The ceramic framework homogenizes the interfacial potential with electrodes, endowing the electrolyte with a high conductivity of 0.782 mS·cm-1 and stable ion transport ability in ASSLMBs at room temperature. The batteries of LiFePO4/Li can stably cycle 1000 times at 0.5 C with a high capacity retention of 96.1%, and Ah-grade pouch or high-voltage Li(Ni0.8Mn0.1Co0.1)O2/Li batteries also exhibit excellent rate capability and cycling performance.

Diversifying Ion-Transport Pathways of Composite Solid Electrolytes for High-Performance Solid-State Lithium-Metal Batteries.

The application of composite solid electrolytes (CSEs) in solid-state lithium-metal batteries is limited by the unsatisfactory ionic conductivity underpinned by the low concentration of free lithium ions. Herein, we propose an interface design strategy where an amine silane linker is employed as a coupling agent to graft the Li7La3Zr2O12 (LLZO) ceramic nanofibers to the poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) polymer matrix to enhance their interaction. The hydrogen bonding between amino-functionalized LLZO (NH2@LLZO) and PVDF-HFP not only effectively induces a uniform incorporation of high-content nanofibers (50 wt %) into the polymer matrix but also furnishes sufficient continuous surfaces to weaken the complexation between PVDF-HFP and Li-ion carriers. Additionally, introduction of the hydrogen bond and Lewis acid-base interplay strengthens the interfacial interactions between NH2@LLZO and lithium salts that release more free lithium ions for efficient interfacial transport. The impact of the linker's structure on the dissociation capacity of lithium salts is systematically studied from the steric effect perspective, which affords insights into interface design. Conclusively, the composite solid electrolyte achieves a high ionic conductivity (5.8 × 10-4 S cm-1) by synergy of multiple transport channels at ceramic, polymer, and their interface, which effectively regulates the lithium deposition behavior in symmetric cells. The excellent compatibility of the electrolyte with both LiFePO4 and LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 cathodes also results in a long lifetime and a high rate capability for full cells.

Interfacial modulation of SiC/TiC hybrid nanofibers for fabricating flexible ceramic electromagnetic wave absorbers

Titanium Carbide (TiC), characterized by its hardness, conductivity and thermal stability, can serve as a suitable additive phase for SiC nanofibers. TiC phase can improve the flexibility and electromagnetic wave absorption property of SiC nanofibers without sacrificing its high-temperature thermal stability. Herein, flexible SiC/TiC hybrid nanofibers with different Ti contents were fabricated by electrospinning and precursor infiltration pyrolysis. The introduction of Ti can not only generate conductive TiC phase, but also act as a catalyst to regulate the growth of SiC grains, so as to adjust the flexibility and electromagnetic properties of the hybrid nanofibers. At the optimal Ti precursor content of 4 wt%, the SiC/TiC-4 hybrid nanofibers exhibit a broad effective absorption bandwidth of 4.5 GHz with the thickness of 1.6 mm. The flexible SiC/TiC hybrid nanofibers This work can provide a reference for the design of flexible ceramic nanofiber absorbers and is expected to enable practical application in high temperature conditions.

Molybdenum disulfide modified silicon carbide ceramic nanofiber: Phase engineering for tuning microwave absorption properties of absorbers

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) is an important two-dimension multifunction material, which is widely used in semiconductor devices due to its special electrical properties. However, the electromagnetic wave absorption performance of MoS2 is severely limited as a result of the impedance mismatch between the material and free space. To address this issue, effective strategies of phase engineering and in situ growth techniques are employed to synthesize 2 H MoS2, 1 T/2 H MoS2, SiC@2 H MoS2, and SiC@1 T/2 H MoS2 composites. The electromagnetic absorbing property data reveal that the minimum reflection loss can reach 58.04 dB at 11.16 GHz in a 2.5 mm thick SiC@1 T/2 H MoS2 nanofiber coating; the effective absorbing bandwidth is up to 5.04 GHz (9.16–14.2 GHz). From the detailed analysis, it can be seen that the dielectric loss strength and the degree of impedance matching are the critical factors impacting the microwave absorption properties. The attenuation mechanisms underlying the excellent microwave absorption performance and related phenomena are explored, opening new directions for synthesizing MoS2-based electromagnetic wave absorbing materials with efficient and broadband.

Emerging fabrication of ceramic nanofiber aerogel with the application in high-temperature thermal insulation, environment, and electromagnetic wave absorption

Emerging fabrication of ceramic nanofiber aerogel with the application in high-temperature thermal insulation, environment, and electromagnetic wave absorption

Fast Solution Blow Spinning of Lotus-Leaf-Inspired SiO2 Nanofiber Sponge for High Efficiency Purification.

Massive production of SiO2 nanofibers with both high durability and exceptional performance remains a significant challenge. Herein, a novel approach was introduced to achieve the massive production of SiO2 nanofibers with lotus-leaf-inspired surfaces by combining solution blowing spinning (SBS) and the polymer-derived ceramics method. Based on the SBS technique, three types of precursor nanofiber products were fast spined with methyl silsesquioxane polymer and polymethyl hydrogen siloxane employed as Si sources. The flow rate of the SBS spined Si-based ceramic nanofibers was enhanced to 20 mL·h-1. Furthermore, through the integration of hydrophobic-oleophilic SiO2 nanoparticles into the precursor solution, SiO2 nanofibers with lotus-leaf nanoprotrusion surfaces were fabricated. Nanoparticle-decorated SiO2 fibers demonstrated excellent hydrophobicity (138.3°), compression resilience (∼60%), proficiency in organic pollutant adsorption, high-temperature resistance (∼1100 °C), and outstanding thermal insulation properties (thermal conductivity of 0.0165 W·(m·K)-1).

Constructing Robust LiF‐Enriched Interfaces in High‐Voltage Solid‐State Lithium Batteries Utilizing Tailored Oriented Ceramic Fiber Electrolytes

AbstractThe pursuit of high‐performance energy storage devices has fueled significant advancements in the all‐solid‐state lithium batteries (ASSLBs). One of the strategies to enhance the performance of ASSLBs, especially concerning high‐voltage cathodes, is optimizing the structure of composite polymer electrolytes (CPEs). This study fabricates a high‐oriented framework of Li6.4La3Zr2Al0.2O12 (o‐LLZO) ceramic nanofibers, meticulously addressing challenges in both the Li metal anode and the high‐voltage LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 (NCM811) cathode. The as‐constructed electrolyte features a highly efficient Li+ transport and robust mechanical network, enhancing both electron and ion transport, ensuring uniform current density distribution, and stress distribution, and effectively suppressing Li dendrite growth. Remarkably, the Li symmetric cells exhibit outstanding long‐term lifespan of 9800 h at 0.1 mA cm−2 and operate effectively over 800 h even at 1.0 mA cm−2 under 30 °C. The CPEs design results from the formation of a gradient LiF‐riched SEI and CEI film at the Li/electrolyte/NCM811 dual interfaces, enhancing ion conduction and maintaining electrode integrity. The coin‐cells and pouch cells demonstrate prolonged cycling stability and superior capacity retention. This study sets a notable precedent in advancing high‐energy ASSLBs.

Pore Defect Modulation Enables Excellent Mechanical Properties in Oxide Ceramic Nanofiber Aerogels for Long-Term Thermal Insulation

Pore Defect Modulation Enables Excellent Mechanical Properties in Oxide Ceramic Nanofiber Aerogels for Long-Term Thermal Insulation

Nanofiber matrix composite electrolyte for regulating ion distribution in fast kinetic sodium-ion batteries operating at wide temperatures

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) address lithium-ion safety concerns but have lower energy density due to the larger ion, which can be alleviated by solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) but introduces challenges, such as reduced ionic conductivity at lower temperatures. A scalable electrospinning and quick UV-curing approach were used to fabricate a cost-effective ceramic nanofiber matrix composite electrolyte. The polymer segment chain contains carbonyl and ester groups that serve as Na+ hopping sites, while cationic ions on the ceramic SiO2 nanofiber (SNF) surface aid in anion fixation, resulting in a boosting sodium ionic conductivity (0.075 mS cm−1) even at −40 °C. Transverse abnormalities in the solid electrolyte cause unequal ion distribution and transport, which affects battery cycle performance. The three-dimensional SNF solves these problems, theoretically confirmed using COMSOL, resulting in 5400 h of steady plating/stripping at 5 mA cm−2. The half cell retains 90.2 % capacity after 1500 cycles at 26 °C and 0.5 C, while the pouch full cell has a 162.6 Wh kg−1 energy density and operates reliably from 0.2 to 15 C and −40 to 80 °C. This study provides insights for designing and applying SSEs in industrial-grade SIBs at various temperatures.

Synthesis of flexible, strong, and lightweight oxide ceramic nanofibers via direct electrospinning of inorganic sol for thermal insulation

Oxide ceramic nanofibers are widely used in aerospace and civil facilities due to their superior thermal stability and fire resistance. Currently, electrospinning, one of the important methods for preparing oxide ceramic nanofibers, must rely on adding organic polymers to impart spinnability to inorganic sols. However, these organic polymers will inevitably leave hole flaws in the ceramic nanofibers due to thermal decomposition during the subsequent ceramization process, seriously damaging their mechanical properties. Here, a direct electrospinning strategy for inorganic sol through hydrolyzation–polycondensation rate modulation is proposed, which gets rid of the dependence of spinnability of inorganic sol on organic polymer. Taking silica nanofibers as an example, it exhibits excellent flexibility and mechanical strength (tensile stress up to 1.4 MPa), as well as thermal insulation properties (thermal conductivity as low as 0.0551 W m−1 K−1 at 300 °C). This work provides new insights into developing other high–performance oxide ceramic materials.

Piezoelectric PVDF‐TrFE nanocomposite mats filled with BaTiO3 nanofibers: The effect of poling conditions

AbstractBaTiO3 nanofibers (BT NFs), prepared by electrospinning, were used as a filler for electrospun poly(vinylidene fluoride‐co‐trifluoroethylene) (PVDF‐TrFE) nanocomposite mats. The phase structure and the effect of poling conditions on the piezoelectric properties of PVDF‐TrFE/BT nanocomposites were investigated. The results showed an improved degree of crystallinity (78.6%) and a high β‐crystal phase (up to 98.3%) in all electrospun samples, independent of the nanofiber content. The two‐step poling method, applying electric fields of opposite polarity, led to significantly improved piezoelectric constants d33 (−31.7 pC N−1), strongly dependent on the added BaTiO3 nanofibers. The inclusion of piezoelectric ceramic nanofibers into a polymer matrix, easily carried out by means of electrospinning, followed by an ad hoc optimized poling treatment, allowed to develop flexible materials with enhanced piezoelectric properties, potentially exploitable in innovative conversion systems used in wearable and sensing devices.

Borax cross-linked guar gum hydrogel-based self healing polymer electrolytes filled with ceramic nanofibers towards high-performance green energy storage applications

An inventive concept towards the implementation of green energy-storing devices is the synthesis of hydrogel-based gel electrolytes from biopolymers imbued with self-healing capabilities. However, these electrolytes have drawbacks, such as low mechanical stability due to inadequate cross-linking and limited ionic conductivity compared to synthetic polymers. This work develops and characterizes a flexible self-healing hydrogel polymer electrolytes (HPEs) based on guar gum (GG) hydrogel for use in energy storage devices. Hydrogel is prepared with silicon dioxide (SiO2) nanofibers dispersed into borax-bonding cross-linked guar gum. Propylene carbonate (PC) and diethyl carbonate (DC) in equal amounts and lithium perchlorate (LiClO4) are used as plasticizers and salt, respectively. It has been found that adding nanofibers to the hydrogel and spreading them there considerably increases the ionic conductivity as evaluated by ac impedance spectroscopy. When the nanofiber concentration is 5 wt% (wt%), the hydrogel electrolytes reach their maximum room temperature ionic conductivity of 4.3 × 10−3 S cm−1. XRD, FTIR, SEM, and XPS investigations are used to explain the enhanced conductivity caused by the dispersion of nanofibers. Nanofibers also improve the self-healing abilities of materials, as demonstrated by the fact that hydrogels loaded with 5 wt% nanofibers recover from deformation more quickly than hydrogels with lower nanofiber contents. Additionally, the dispersion of nanofibers enhances the hydrogel's mechanical and thermal properties. According to electrochemical investigations and linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) graphs, hydrogel electrolytes are stable up to 4.7 V. When compared to nanofiber-free hydrogels, nanofiber-integrated hydrogel electrolytes show more excellent interfacial stability. The developed self-healing hydrogel-based polymer electrolytes exhibit outstanding promise for a range of energy storage systems, opening the way for creating high-performance and environmentally friendly energy storage solutions.

Structural, chemical and biological properties of SiO2-CaO-Er2O3 flexible ceramic nanofibers for biomedical applications

Rare earth-doped bioactive ceramics are promising biomaterials due to their unique optical properties, biocompatibility, antioxidants, and antibacterial activity. In this study, a series of SiO2-CaO-Er2O3 nanofiber mats were fabricated by sol-gel electrospinning. The morphology, flexibility, physicochemical and biological properties of the nanofibers were investigated. The flexibility of the nanofiber mats containing 5 and 10 wt% of Er2O3 was better than that of samples without or with >10 wt% Er2O3. The chemical property assay indicated that addition of Er can lead to changes in the degree of crystallinity and the degree of silica network polymerization, which further affect the flexibility. Photoluminescent spectra showed that the Er-doped nanofibers exist green and near infrared emissions. The in vitro bio experiments demonstrated that Er-doped nanofibers present excellent biocompatibility, and the mineralization experiment demonstrated that Er-doped nanofibers present favorable mineralization activity. Therefore, these SiO2-CaO-Er2O3 flexible nanofibers may be promising candidates for biomedical applications.

Development of Durable Pt/CoWO4 Nanofiber Catalyst-Support Hybrid Material Using Ex-Solution for Zn-Air Batteries

The zinc-air batteries (ZABs) has been regarded as a next-generation energy storage device due to its high energy density, cost competitiveness, and excellent safety [1]. However, several challenges must still be overcome to commercialize the ZABs, including poor cycle properties and low coulombic efficiency. These problems are due to oxygen-base reaction which has sluggish kinetics and a high overpotential. Generally, noble metals (Pt) and metal oxides (IrO2, RuO2) have been employed as oxygen-based electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction and oxygen evolution reaction respectively. However, these materials suffer from poor durability during the reaction and high material costs. Therefore more durable and economical catalyst materials designed for ZABs should be developed.In this study, we developed Pt/CoWO4 nanofiber hybrid material with excellent stability to overcome the limitations of the commercial catalyst. First, the ceramic nanofibers with a high specific surface area were fabricated by the electrospinning method. Pt and Co catalysts were strongly bonded to a WO3 support using an Ex-solution technique in which metal ions within the solid solution were exposed as metal nanoparticles on the surface [2]. We have modulated a stepwise thermal treatment that controls the crystallinity and oxygen deficiency of support material, and the exposure behavior of Pt, and Co nanoparticles such as particle size and alloy formation. Finally, the optimized hybrid material exhibited high catalytic activity, reaction stability, and material durability in the half-cell tests in alkaline media. Furthermore, a container-type zinc-air cell was fabricated and the Pt/CoWO4 catalyst successfully operated for over 240 h at 2mA∙cm-2. We believe this study guides a strategy for the development of more efficient catalyst materials for feasible not only the ZABs but also various metal catalyst–ceramic supports[1] J. Fu, R. Liang, G. Liu, A. Yu, Z. Bai, L. Yang, and Z. Chen, "Recent Progress in Electrically Rechargeable Zinc – Air Batteries," Adv. Mater., vol. 31, no. 31, p. 1805230, 2019[2] Js Jang, BJ Kim, JW HAN, WC Jung and Id Kim, “Dopant-Driven Positive Reinforcement in Ex-Solution Process: New Strategy to Develop Highly Capable and Durable Catalytic Materials,” Adv. Mater. Vol. 32, issue 46, p. 2003983, 2020 Figure 1

Facile and Low Temperature Synthesis of Nd1.8Sr0.2NiO4-δ Cathode Nanofibers for Intermediate Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are usually operated at high temperatures (800-1000 °C). As the overall efficiency of SOFC is governed by thermodynamics and kinetics during operation, reducing the operating temperature to 500-650 °C causes significant increase in the electrode polarization losses especially at cathode due to high activation energy towards oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) at cathode, which eventually reduces the overall cell performance. Addressing increased polarization losses at relatively low temperatures (500-650 °C) has been the key issue and a focus of many groups over past couple of decades. Conventional cathode materials lose their ORR activity and so discarded for intermediate temperature (IT)-SOFC application. In this regard, mixed ionic-electronic conductors (MIECs) offer high thermal and chemical stability along with high oxygen diffusion and good electronic conductivity at IT [1,2]. In addition, Ruddlesden-Popper (RP) type MIECs with A2BO4 structure have been demonstrated as promising cathode for IT- SOFCs due to their unique structure, rapid oxygen surface exchange kinetics, and excellent stability in atmosphere. Particularly Nd2NiO4+δ oxides offer an excellent oxygen diffusion coupled with high surface exchange coefficients and comparable thermal expansion coefficients with those of oxygen-ion conductors (YSZ and CGO) [2]. Enhanced electronic conductivity and electrochemical performance have been demonstrated for partial replacement of Nd with Sr in our previous reports [3].Albeit, the intrinsic material properties such as electrochemical catalytic activity and electrical conductivity are of primary importance, an actual electrode performance strongly depends on its microstructure. Therefore, in addition to using high catalytic and conductive materials, achieving an extremely high-power density, thus, requires a finely controlled electrode microstructure, to expand the electrochemically active triple-phase boundary (TPB). Recently, electrospinning has been considered as an efficient, cost effective and promising method for synthesis of ceramic nanofibers. Pertinent literature suggests that SOFC with cathode nanofiber has superior/better performance (nearly doubled power density and significant reduced polarization resistance) compared to powder type electrodes. Selection of suitable cathode materials with modified microstructure (nanofibers) would facilitate more electrochemically active sites for the oxygen reduction at relatively low temperatures <650 °C.In this paper we synthesized Nd1.8Sr0.2NiO4-δ (NSNO) cathode nanofibers using electrospinning technique and compared its electrochemical performance with NSNO nanopowder. Practically, 10 wt.% Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) solution was prepared by dissolving it in ethanol, to which stoichiometric amounts of Nd-nitrate, Sr-nitrate, Ni-nitrate (total weight percentage of metal salts- 3 wt%) were added, together with some deionized water. The mixture was then stirred for 10 h at room temperature on a magnetic stirrer to obtain a homogeneous sol. The sol was loaded into the electrospinning syringe. Distance between the spinneret and the collector was fixed at 25 cm and the high-voltage supply was maintained at 30 kV. The spinning rate was controlled at 5 ml h- 1 by a syringe pump. The obtained nanofibers were dried at 80 °C for 12 h, then sintered at 900 °C for 2 h in air to obtain single-phase NSNO.The obtained nanofibers were characterized using room temperature XRD, XPS, SEM and dc electrical conductivity (400-650 °C). In addition, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy studies on symmetric cells were carried out as a function of temperature (400-650 °C). Improved electrochemical performance is attributed to enhanced electrochemical active sites for ORR due to nanofibers and optimum porosity.

Ceramic aerogels constructed from dense, non-porous ceramic nanofibers with robust and elastic properties up to 1300 °C

Elastic and compressible 3D nanomaterials comprising polymers, carbon, and metals have been prepared quantitatively in different formats. However, creating flexible and elastic ceramic aerogels with high thermal stability remains a significant challenge. In this study, sols composed of highly condensed inorganic molecular chains can be used to prepare ceramic nanofiber aerogels without adding polymers. This strategy prevents many pore defects caused by the thermal decomposition of polymers during ceramization and avoids the stress concentration generated by pore defects, which could lead to irreversible structural damage to the ceramic nanofiber aerogels under external forces. The synthesized ceramic nanofiber aerogel possesses temperature-invariant superelasticity (up to 1300 °C) and fatigue resistance to thousands of compressions with a thermal conductivity of only 0.028 W m−1 k−1. The successful synthesis of such aerogels is expected to provide a foundation for designing flexible and elastic ceramic aerogels with structural adaptability and scalability.