From the first introduction of aerogels in 1930 to the most recent ones constructed from variety of organic and inorganic materials, design and fabrication of aerogels have been improved. Conventional aerogels are fabricated via solvent removal from a gelatinous network either by freeze or supercritical drying. However, time-consuming process and lack of mechanical strength in conventional aerogels are a major trade-off in large scale applications. Recently, nanofibrous aerogels (NFAs) have started getting attention because of their straightforward and robust method of preparation. Synthesis of NFAs provide a flexible platform to design and fabricate functional materials from hybrid organic and inorganic materials. Herein, we present a sustainable approach to fabricate a mechanically robust and multifunctional aerogel from sol-gel electrospun polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)-titania (TiO2) nanofibers resulting in an ultralight (10 mg cm-1) and hierarchically porous (&gt; 99%) 3D structured material. Morphology of the aerogel analyzed using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and confocal laser scanning microscope while Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy studies demonstrate development and a homogeneous distribution of TiO2 in the structure of the aerogel. More importantly, our characterization confirms the chemical interactions between TiO2 and PVP that arise during sol-gel processing. Owing to the photocatalytic activity of TiO2, the aerogel exhibits strong antibacterial properties (i.e., for E-coli and Salmonella) as well as high efficiency for adsorption and degradation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The aerogel also exhibits very low thermal conductivity and high mechanical flexibility which are advantageous for a host of applications.

Photo-responsive aerogel designed from sol-gel electrospun PVP-TiO2 nanofibers

ACS Spring 2022

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.