This talk covers several issues involved in the synthesis of functional polymeric aerogels and silica aerogels reinforced by polymers and nanoscale additives. The precursor gels are obtained by thermo-reversible gelation, imidization, and sol-gel reactions. However, many applications of aerogels require certain level of mechanical integrity, low density, specified surface energy, mesoporous structures, and electrical conductivity. While low density and mesoporous structures are inherent to aerogels, mechanical reinforcement without affecting density and pore structures, rendering inherently hydrophilic aerogels hydrophobic, or obtaining electrical conductivity from insulating aerogel materials pose many challenges.  This talk elaborates on three points � reinforcement of silica aerogels using nanometer size polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) molecules, thermo-reversible gelation of up to 22 wt% sulphonated syndiotactic polystyrene (ssPS) and polymerization of aniline on ssPS strands to obtain electrically conductive aerogels, and thermo-reversible gelation of poly(urethane-urea) to obtain mesoporous soft aerogels.

Chemical and engineering issues of functional polymer aerogels

245th National Meeting (2013)

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