Biomass aerogels, prepared from natural biomass materials such as cellulose, chitosan, and starch, are nano‑porous materials characterized by high porosity (up to 99%), high specific surface area, low density, excellent biocompatibility, biodegradability, and functionalizability. These properties endow biomass aerogels with broad application prospects in the biomedical field. The following are the main application directions:

(1) Tissue Engineering Scaffolds

    The three-dimensional porous structure of biomass aerogels closely resembles that of the natural extracellular matrix (ECM), providing an ideal microenvironment for cell adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation, making them excellent scaffold materials for tissue engineering.

       · Bone and Cartilage Repair: Cellulose‑ or chitosan‑based aerogels can be engineered to mimic the microstructure of bone tissue by tuning their pore size and mechanical properties, thereby promoting osteoblast growth. Studies have demonstrated their potential for repairing bone defects.

       · Skin Tissue Regeneration: Their high fluid absorption capacity and air permeability make them suitable for wound dressings, helping to maintain a moist wound environment and accelerating skin tissue regeneration.

(2) Drug Delivery Systems

       · Sustained and Controlled Release:By adjusting the pore structure and surface chemistry, sustained release of drugs can be achieved, extending therapeutic effects and reducing dosing frequency.

       · Targeted Delivery:** After functionalization, they can be conjugated with targeting ligands to enable precise delivery to tumors or sites of inflammation.

       · Biomacromolecule Protection:** Their porous structure protects sensitive drugs, such as proteins and genes, from degradation, thereby enhancing stability and bioavailability.

(3) Wound Healing and Dressings

       · Exudate Management:Capable of absorbing large amounts of wound exudate, keeping the wound clean.

       · Antibacterial and Pro‑healing Effects:Chitosan‑based aerogels possess inherent antibacterial activity, helping to inhibit infection while promoting collagen deposition and angiogenesis to accelerate healing.

      · Transparent Dressings: Some transparent aerogels allow visual inspection of the wound without frequent dressing changes, reducing secondary injury.

(4) Biosensors and Diagnostics

       · Biomarker Detection:Suitable for the detection of glucose, lactate, DNA, and other biological molecules, offering rapid response and high sensitivity.

       · Disease Diagnosis:When combined with immunoassay techniques, they can be used for early detection of cancer markers or pathogens.

(5) Implantable Medical Devices

       · Absorbable Scaffolds: For applications such as vascular or neural conduits, the scaffold supports tissue regeneration and is naturally degraded and absorbed by the body, eliminating the need for surgical removal.

       · Hemostatic Materials: The highly porous structure rapidly absorbs blood and concentrates clotting factors, achieving efficient hemostasis.

Biomass aerogels are not merely substitutes for traditional materials in the biomedical field; they represent a cutting‑edge platform material driving the advancement of precision medicine, regenerative medicine, and intelligent diagnostics. As such, they hold significant research value and market potential.

The selection of aerogel for the renovation of Zhu Ziqing’s Former Residence at Tsinghua University exemplifies how modern technology can preserve historical heritage. It effectively reconciles the core conflict between maintaining historical authenticity—the principle of "restoring the old to its original state"—and meeting modern energy efficiency standards.

The following four characteristics of aerogel made it the ideal solution for this project:

(1) Superior Thermal Insulation to Address High Energy Consumption

With a history spanning over a century, the original structure lacked an effective thermal envelope, resulting in poor insulation, extreme temperature fluctuations, and high energy costs. Aerogel, often hailed as a "miracle material," boasts an extremely low thermal conductivity. It achieves equivalent or superior insulation performance to traditional materials—such as rock wool or polystyrene panels—at only one-third to one-half the thickness. This essentially wraps the historic building in an ultra-thin, invisible thermal barrier, significantly enhancing the thermophysical performance of the walls and roof without bulk.

(2) Ultra-Thin Profile Upholding the "Minimum Intervention" Principle

The foremost rule in heritage conservation is respecting the original fabric and spatial integrity of the site. Traditional insulation methods require substantial thickness, which would either encroach upon the already limited interior space or alter the building's external silhouette. Aerogel composites, by contrast, are exceptionally thin and lightweight. They allow for a comprehensive thermal upgrade with almost zero intrusion into the historic footprint, preserving the residence's original appearance and character.

(3) Fire Safety and Durability Assurance

As one of Beijing’s first designated historic buildings, fire safety is paramount. Aerogel provides excellent thermal insulation while being Class A non-combustible, eliminating the fire hazards associated with flammable insulation materials and offering robust protection for this irreplaceable cultural asset. Furthermore, with a service life of 20 to 25 years—significantly longer than conventional alternatives—aerogel minimizes the need for disruptive future maintenance.

(4) Customized Installation to Protect Fragile Substrates

Addressing the fragile condition of century-old brickwork, aerogel offers exceptional adaptability. The technical team customized the form of the composite material (e.g., flexible blankets or tailored boards) and adjusted the installation techniques to ensure a snug fit against complex, uneven surfaces. This "tailor-made" precision approach avoided the structural vibrations and forced leveling typically required by rigid traditional insulation, thereby safeguarding the original texture and integrity of the historic masonry.

Conclusion

In summary, aerogel resolves the multi-faceted contradictions inherent in renovating historic structures—balancing aesthetic preservation, structural safety, moisture control, fire resistance, and occupant comfort. Its application not only strictly adheres to the conservation doctrine of "minimum intervention" but also revitalizes Zhu Ziqing’s former residence with modern functionality. This project sets a new technical benchmark for the sustainable, green transformation of historical architecture, achieving a deep integration of cultural heritage preservation and contemporary sustainability goals.

As energy storage systems scale toward larger capacities and higher energy densities, safety has become the Sword of Damocles hanging over the entire industry. Leveraging its exceptionally low thermal conductivity and Class A non-combustibility, aerogel serves as a critical thermal barrier—a veritable firewall—within BESS. Its specific applications and value are realized through three tiers of physical isolation:

 (1) Cell Level

When an individual cell enters thermal runaway, aerogel thermal pads establish a robust thermal barrier that prevents high-temperature propagation to adjacent cells. This buys critical time—typically tens of minutes—for fire suppression systems to activate and for fault isolation procedures to execute, safeguarding the stable operation of the BESS.

(2) Module and Battery Pack Level

Aerogel thermal pads, nano fire-insulation boards, and related materials are deployed between modules and within battery packs to form fire isolation zones. This constructs a three-dimensional protective architecture extending from cells to modules to packs.

(3) Energy Storage Cabinet/Container Level

As a fill material for walls or partition panels, aerogel can physically divide an entire energy storage container into multiple independent "fire compartments." This effectively shields internal precision components from external thermal assault, achieving true macro-level "fire segregation."

In summary: The paramount value of aerogel in BESS lies in its ability to transform the safety paradigm from "reactive firefighting" (remediation after ignition) to "proactive defense" (prevention of fire initiation). Through its extreme material performance, aerogel effectively cloaks the energy storage system in an impenetrable thermal shield, serving as an indispensable cornerstone material for achieving "intrinsic safety" in energy storage.

    The application of aerogels in the field of Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) shielding is currently a frontier hotspot in materials science. Traditional EMI shielding materials, such as metal foils or meshes, rely primarily on reflection to block electromagnetic waves; however, this often leads to secondary electromagnetic pollution. In contrast, aerogels—leveraging their unique hierarchical porous structure—can achieve high-efficiency shielding dominated by absorption.
    Since pure silica aerogels are insulating and lack EMI performance, EMI-shielding aerogels are typically composite materials:
    （1）Carbon-based Aerogels: These include graphene aerogels, carbon nanotube (CNT) aerogels, and biomass-derived carbon aerogels. They possess extremely high electrical conductivity and chemical stability, making them the most mature systems currently under research.
    （2）MXene Aerogels: MXene is a novel class of two-dimensional transition metal carbides with metallic-grade conductivity. MXene aerogels exhibit ultra-high shielding effectiveness (SE) even at minimal thicknesses, making them the preferred choice for high-end electronic devices.

    （3）Polymer Composite Aerogels: These involve doping polyimide (PI) or polyurethane（PU） aerogels with metallic nanowires or conductive fillers. The goal is to strike a balance between mechanical flexibility and shielding performance.

    NASA’s use of aerogel—especially in the Stardust Mission—is based on four key material advantages:
    （1）Ultra-Low Density Enables “Soft Capture”

       · Silica aerogel is incredibly light—only a few times denser than air.

       · Cosmic dust particles strike the collector at 6 km/s  (hypervelocity).

       · If they hit metal or glass, they would vaporize.

       · Aerogel acts like a thick, ultra-soft cloud, slowing particles over several centimeters and preserving their original structure.

    （2）Transparency Allows Precise Sample Tracking

       · Silica aerogel is semi-transparent.

       · Scientists can visually follow the “carrot-shaped tracks” left by each particle and extract them accurately using micromanipulation tools.

    （3）Highly Porous Structure Traps Tiny Particles

       · The nanoporous network stops even sub-micron dust without destroying or contaminating it.

    （4） Chemically Clean and Inert

       · Aerogel contains almost no organics, making it ideal for later isotope, mineralogy, and organic chemistry analyses.

2. How NASA’s Stardust Mission Captured Cosmic Dust

    The Stardust process can be summarized in three steps:

    （1）Aerogel Collector Deployment

       · The spacecraft carried a “tennis-racket-shaped” sampler with silica aerogel tiles.

       · One side collected cometary particles from Comet Wild 2; the other collected interstellar dust.

    （2）High-Speed Fly-Through

       · In 2004, Stardust flew through the comet’s coma at roughly 6 km/s.

       · Dust particles penetrated into the aerogel, carving elongated tracks as they decelerated.

       · A density-graded aerogel (low → high density) reduced impact shock even further.

    （3）Return to Earth

       · After collection, the aerogel panel folded into a return capsule.

       · The capsule reentered Earth’s atmosphere in 2006 and landed in Utah.

       · Scientists cut out individual tracks and particles for laboratory study.

3. Future Potential of Aerogels in Space Applications (In-Depth)

    Aerogels already fly on NASA missions—e.g., Mars Pathfinder, Spirit, and Opportunity rovers used them for thermal insulation.
Future applications are even broader.

A. Extreme Thermal Management for Spacecraft

    （a）Ultra-Light Insulation for Satellites & Deep-Space Missions

       · Aerogels provide extremely low thermal conductivity.

       · They can reduce mass compared to foam or multi-layer insulation (MLI).

    （b）Thermal Protection for Mars/Lunar Rovers

       · Mars rovers used aerogel blankets to survive freezing nights.

· Future lunar south-pole rovers and Europa/Enceladus landers may rely on aerogel insulation to reduce heater power consumption.

    （c） Cryogenic Fuel Tank Insulation

       · Aerogel can reduce boil-off losses for liquid hydrogen, oxygen, or methane tanks.

       · Relevant for upper stages, lunar bases, and in-space propellant depots.

B. Planetary Surface “Localized Terraforming” (Solid-State Greenhouses)

    Recent research shows:

       · A 2–3 cm silica aerogel layer can trap enough sunlight on Mars to warm the surface beneath above 0°C,

       · while blocking harmful UV radiation.

    This supports:

       （a） Passive-heated greenhouses or farms on Mars

       （b）Small warm “habitat islands” without terraforming the whole planet

       （c）Composite building panels combining regolith + aerogel

These are realistic short-to-mid-term technologies for Mars surface missions.

C. Communication and Radar Applications (Excellent for PI Aerogels)

    Your area—polyimide (PI) aerogels—has major potential in aerospace RF systems.Why?

       · Extremely low dielectric constant

       · Very low loss at high frequencies

       · Ultra-lightweight

       · Can be flexible for deployable structures

    Potential uses:

       （a） Lightweight satellite antenna substrates

       （b）Large deployable phased-array antennas

       （c）Flexible radomes wrapped around spacecraft bodies (“conformal antennas”)

       （d）Low-noise RF/communication electronics insulation

This is a highly promising segment for future satellite constellations, deep-space probes, and high-bandwidth communications.

D. Radiation & Micrometeoroid Protection (Future Concepts)

    Possible development directions:

       · Doping aerogel with hydrogen-rich polymers, boron, or lithium for radiation shielding

       · Using aerogel layers in Whipple shields to absorb impact energy

       · Creating ultra-light shield structures for long-duration crewed missions

These remain research-stage but strategically important.

E. Advanced Scientific Sampling and Analysis

    Following Stardust, aerogels may be used to capture particles from:

       （a）Enceladus and Europa plume flythroughs

       （b） Comet and asteroid flyby missions

       （c） Orbital space dust monitoring systems

    Aerogels enable intact capture and later high-precision laboratory analysis.

F. Environmental Control & Life-Support Systems

    Because of their large surface area and tunable chemistry, aerogels could support:

       · CO₂ capture

       · Trace contaminant removal

       · Water purification systems

       · Catalyst supports for chemical processing

    Useful in spacecraft cabins or off-world habitats.

Summary

    NASA uses aerogel to capture cosmic dust because it provides a unique combination of:

       · Soft capture at hypervelocity

       · Transparency for tracking

       · Clean, inert chemistry

       · Nanoporous trapping ability

    Looking forward, aerogels—especially silica and polyimide types—may play transformative roles in:

       · Spacecraft thermal management

       · Mars and lunar surface habitats

       · Satellite antennas and radar systems

       · Radiation and impact shielding

       · Cryogenic fuel storage

       · Scientific sampling

       · Life-support and environmental systems

1. Main Types of Aerogels Known Today

    (1) Silica Aerogel (SiO₂ Aerogel) — the Most Mature and Widely Used

       · The world's most common and commercially mature aerogel

       · Based on a Si–O–Si nano-porous structure

       · Applications: building insulation, EV battery thermal protection, industrial insulation, architectural glazing, aerospace

    (2) Carbon Aerogel

       Includes RF-carbon aerogels, graphene aerogels, CNT aerogels, etc.

       Key traits:

       · Excellent electrical conductivity

       · Ultra-low density

       · Used in supercapacitors, energy storage, adsorption materials

    (3) Polymer Aerogel

       Includes:

       · Polyurethane (PU) aerogel

       · Polyimide (PI) aerogel

       · Epoxy aerogel

       Traits:

       · Flexible

       · Better mechanical integrity

       · Thermal resistance typically 200–400°C

       · Used in aerospace, lightweight insulation, flexible components

    (4) Metal Oxide Aerogel

       Examples:

       · Alumina (Al₂O₃) aerogel

       · Zirconia (ZrO₂) aerogel

       · Titania (TiO₂) aerogel

       Traits:

       · High-temperature resistance (up to 1000–1200°C)

       · Often used in catalysts, aerospace heat shields, extreme-temperature insulation

    (5) Biomass / Bio-Based Aerogel

       Examples:

       · Cellulose aerogel

       · Alginate aerogel

       · Chitosan aerogel

       Traits:

       · Biodegradable, environmentally friendly

       · Used in medical, filtration, adsorption

       · Still mainly semi-industrial or research-stage

 2. Differences: Silica Aerogel vs Other Aerogel Types

    Below is the version most useful for customer education and sales discussions:

    (1) Material Structure & Stability

       Notably, silica aerogel stands out for its unparalleled long-term structural stability paired with complete chemical inertness—attributes that make it indispensable in harsh environments where material degradation risks are unacceptable.

    (2) Performance Differences

       For most industrial and consumer scenarios, silica aerogel delivers the optimal balance of insulation performance, non-combustibility, and cost-effectiveness—addressing the core requirements of safety and efficiency simultaneously.

    (3) Commercial Readiness

    Silica aerogel is the only type already used at global industrial scale.

    (4) Application Suitability

 3. Summary: Why Silica Aerogel Is Unique

    (1) Best insulation performance

       World's lowest thermal conductivity among solids.

    (2) Fully non-combustible (A1)

       Essential for EV safety, building fire safety, and industrial. applications.

    (3) Most commercially scalable

       Silica aerogel has a mature, global supply chain.