Aerogel-To-Sol-To-Aerogel (ASA) Process for Recycling, Repairing, Reprogramming of High-Performance Organic Aerogels

Abstract

With rising energy demands and costs, the significance of thermally insulating materials is on a constant upward trajectory. While they offer impressive performance, their sustainability is increasingly becoming an essential design feature. The study thus develops an unprecedented strategy that enables recycling, repairing, and reprogramming of superinsulating polyimine aerogels. The principle at play involves the decomposition of polyimine aerogels into a solution of oligomers through transimination reactions with additional amines. This solution can be utilized to create new aerogels with virtually identical properties to the original ones. This aerogel-to-sol-to-aerogel (ASA) process is also applicable to mixed waste streams and damaged aerogels. Moreover, this method allows to alter the aerogel properties post-synthetically through careful selection of amines. Since the ASA process is highly reproducible and selective, omits purification steps, and conserves 100% of the initially embedded chemical resources, it presents an innovative tool for the sustainable management of superinsulating aerogels.