From 1D electrospun nanofibers to advanced multifunctional fibrous 3D aerogels

A new class of aerogels based on advanced 1D nanofibers have emerged recently. What makes this class of aerogel, known as "fibrous aerogels," to stand out from those obtained from traditional sol-gel processed and supercritical drying method is its ease of processability, versatility, and multifunctionality. The fibrous aerogels not only hold intrinsic aerogels properties such as porosity, low density, and high specific surface area but also benefit from the inherent features of electrospun nanofibers, dual micro/nanoporous structures, and fragmented fibrillar entanglement in the nano-/microscale. Besides, the versatility in the electrospinning and freeze-casting techniques render the process with the possibility of selecting a wide range of materials as the building blocks as well as tunable porosity and different geometrical shapes, which lead to superior mechanical properties and additional functionalities. This review has highlighted the historical developments, design principles, recent breakthroughs in emerging applications, and a fresh perspective for upcoming research in the field of fibrous aerogels. (c) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.