Extreme Resilience: Scalable Electrospun Carbon Nanofiber aerogels with Ultrahigh Elasticity and Temperature Tolerance

Shouzhi Yan; Xinyang He; Zhilin Teng; Wendi Liu; Xuepeng Ni; Zhen Li; Ding Zhang; Jinhao Xu; Binjie Xin; Dahua Shou; Liming Wang

doi:10.1016/j.eng.2025.11.013

Engineering ›› :202511013 DOI: 10.1016/j.eng.2025.11.013

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Extreme Resilience: Scalable Electrospun Carbon Nanofiber aerogels with Ultrahigh Elasticity and Temperature Tolerance

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^a School of Textiles and Fashion, Shanghai University of Engineering Science, Shanghai 201620, China

^b Future Intelligent Wear Centre, School of Fashion and Textiles, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong 999077, China

^c Key Laboratory of Textile Science & Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Textiles, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China

^d Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117576 Singapore

^e College of Materials Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China

^f School of Materials Science and Engineering, National Institute for Advanced Materials, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China

^g Research Centre of Textiles for Future Fashion, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong 999077, China

^* xinbj@sues.edu.cn (Binjie Xin),

dahua.shou@polyu.edu.hk (Dahua Shou),

wangliming@dhu.edu.cn (Liming Wang)

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Abstract

The rapid development of the field of aerospace engineering has driven the advancement of special materials with extreme temperature tolerance, mechanical durability, and the capability to monitor physiological signals under extreme environments. However, a significant challenge has emerged in striking a balance between thermal insulation and mechanical properties due to special materials’ unstable lamellar structures and uncontrollable molding processes. Herein, we pioneer the scalable production of carbon nanofiber aerogels (CNFAs) using a volatilization-hygroscopicity synergistically induced phase-separation 3D electrospinning molding technology. Their advanced structures grant the CNFAs superb compression resistance (15 000 cycles), an extraordinarily low density (20.15 mg cm⁻³), and ultra-low thermal conductivity (0.028 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹). Thus, CNFAs can maintain their original morphology and mechanical behavior at temperatures ranging from -196 to 1500 °C. This breakthrough paves the way for designing and producing functional materials suitable for frontier fields such as space exploration.

Keywords

Carbon nanofiber aerogels / Electrospinning / Welding-reinforced structure / Super elasticity / Extreme temperature tolerance

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Shouzhi Yan, Xinyang He, Zhilin Teng, Wendi Liu, Xuepeng Ni, Zhen Li, Ding Zhang, Jinhao Xu, Binjie Xin, Dahua Shou, Liming Wang. Extreme Resilience: Scalable Electrospun Carbon Nanofiber aerogels with Ultrahigh Elasticity and Temperature Tolerance. Engineering 202511013 DOI:10.1016/j.eng.2025.11.013

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