Circular, scalable, multifunctional wood aerogel

Aerogel shows vital roles in various areas such as super thermal insulation, separation, catalyst, etc.

Cellulose aerogel stands out ascribing to the abundant, fossil-free resources, as well as the favorable mechanical properties.

The mainstream bottom-up fabrication approach starting with cellulose solution is energy intensive and is challenging for a cost-effective and scalable production.The present project proposes eco-friendly top-down approach starting with wood, where the hierarchical arrangement as well as the existing cellulose nanofibril orientation in wood is tailored.

Focus will be on hierarchical wood aerogel featuring with high porosity, high specific surface area (SSA), and high strength.

Nanotechnology toolbox for the structure tailoring and multi-functionalization will be established where scalable processing and sustainability are integrated.

Advanced hierarchical wood aerogel based materials platforms will be delivered, including super thermal insulating wood etc. One vision is energy efficiency such as energy efficient buildings. The other vision is climate action focused on water purification. The scientific question regarding processing-structure-property relationship will be studied.

The goal is to deliver impacts on global sustainable development through advanced materials design based on biomaterials instead of fossil-based resources.