Biomass cellulose aerogel composites with functional integration for thermal insulation applications

The increasing attention towards wearable materials with excellent thermal insulation properties stems from their potential to save energy and fulfill the requirement for smart clothing, thereby addressing the fundamental need to maintain human body temperature. In this work, the multifunctional Cu nanoparticles/cellulose fibers aerogels (Cu-NPs/CFAs) composites with functional integration were prepared via simple in-situ deposition and freeze-drying process using sisal cellulose as starting material for thermal insulation applications. During this process, sisal cellulose was extracted to obtain cellulose aerogel, which was then in-situ deposited with copper nanoparticles through redox reactions. The subsequent freeze drying resulted in the formation of porous Cu-NPs/CFAs with high infrared reflection and self-cleaning properties. The SEM images showed that the Cu nanoparticles were tightly anchored on surface of cellulose aerogel, forming the high infrared reflection coating. The reflectivity of copper nanoparticle coating is approximately 0.85 to 0.95 in the ranging from 2 to 14 μm, indicating the high thermal insulation for human warmth in the cold environment. Besides, obtained Cu-NPs/CFAs material shows a self-cleaning property with a stable water contact angle of 150.5°, which can provide a stable infrared performance on the surface of the material. The present results indicate that Cu-NPs/CFAs are promising candidates as insulation material for human thermal management, energy regulation and other facility applications.