Recent Advances and Prospective of Reinforced Silica Aerogel Nanocomposites and Their Applications

Silica aerogel has emerged as a new class of porous solid-state nanomaterials. It consists of a three-dimensional (3D) solid silica network with a huge air-filled space of highly cross-linked structures. Due to their distinct features, such as high porosity, large surface area, extremely low density, and low thermal conductivity, they show potential as applicants in various emerging fields. Silica aerogel limits its applications due to its fragile nature; as a result, it is essential to develop mechanical strength. As a result, it is gaining more attention in the future for widespread industrial applications of silica aerogel, and several researchers have conducted studies into incorporating fiber, polymer, and metal oxide into silica networks. Many of these research studies currently focus on the silica aerogel nanocomposite's thermal conductivity and mechanical strength. This overview particularly highlights prior progress in the synthesis techniques of silica aerogel and recent outcomes of silica aerogel incorporating additives in promoting mechanisms of mechanical strength. Also, the outline of the significant improvements in the resultant physical, mechanical, and thermal conductivity of the nanocomposite is discussed. In addition, it emphasizes the future studies essential to promoting the implementation of such sustainable thermal insulators and improved absorber materials on a larger scale.