Reproducible Superinsulation Materials: Organosilica-Based Hybrid Aerogels with Flexibility Control

  • In this study, we report highly crosslinked hybrid aerogels with an organic backbone based on vinylmethyldimethoxysilane (VMDMS) with tuneable properties. For an improved and highly reproducible synthesis, a prepolymer based on 2,4,6,8-tetramethyl-2,4,6,8-tetravinylcyclotetrasiloxane (D4V4) and VMDMS as monomers was prepared and purified. Di-tert-butylperoxide (DTBP) concentrations of 1 mol% initiate the radical polymerization of the mentioned monomers to achieve high yields of polymers. After purification, the obtained viscous polyorganosilane precursor could be reproducibly crosslinked with dimethyldimethoxysilane (DMDMS) or methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS) to form gels in benzylic alcohol (BzOH), water (H2O) and tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAOH). Whereas freeze-drying these silica-based hybrid aerogels led to high thermal conductivity (>20 mW m−1K−1) and very fragile materials, useful aerogels were obtained via solvent exchange and supercritical drying with CO2. The DMDMS-based aerogels exhibit enhanced compressibility (31% at 7 kPa) and low thermal conductivity (16.5 mW m−1K−1) with densities around (0.111 g cm−3). The use of MTMS results in aerogels with lower compressibility (21% at 7 kPa) and higher density (0.124 g cm−3) but excellent insulating properties (14.8 mW m−1K−1).

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Metadaten
Author:Marvin GeyerORCiD, Felix LevenORCiD, Johannes Limberg, Corina AndronescuORCiD, Rainer OstermannORCiD
URN:urn:nbn:de:hbz:1010-opus4-47738
DOI:https://doi.org/10.3390/gels10110692
ISSN:2310-2861
Parent Title (English):Gels (Special Issue Aerogels: Synthesis and Applications)
Publisher:MDPI
Document Type:Article
Language:English
Date of Publication (online):2024/10/25
Date of first Publication:2024/10/25
Publishing Institution:Westfälische Hochschule Gelsenkirchen Bocholt Recklinghausen
Release Date:2025/06/10
Tag:bendability/flexibility control; energy storage; hybrid aerogel; polycondensation; radical polymerization; supercritical drying; superinsulation material
Volume:2024
Issue:10 (11)
Article Number:692
Page Number:14
First Page:1
Last Page:14
Institutes:Fachbereiche / Ingenieur- und Naturwissenschaften
Licence (German):Creative Commons - Namensnennung
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