Ultralight, superelastic and bendable lashing-structured nanofibrous aerogels for effective sound absorption

Abstract

Low-density nanofibrous aerogels enable various applications but are often hindered by their fragile bendability and poor tensile strength. Herein, we report a strategy to design nanofibrous aerogels with robust bendability and superelastic property, which has been achieved by fabricating bamboo lashing-like structures through a freeze-drying method. The obtained reinforced nanofibrous aerogels (RNFAs) can maintain their structural integrity after 100 bending-recovery cycles at a bending angle of about 100°. Particularly, the RNFAs can completely revive from large deformation with a fast recovery speed (∼834 mm s⁻¹). Significantly, the internal hierarchical porous structures and hydrophobicity of the materials provide them with ultralight properties (density <11 mg cm⁻³), efficient sound absorption capability (noise reduction coefficient of 0.41) and good moisture resistance; thus, they are promising options in cabins, vehicles, and the regulation of indoor reverberation.