Layered Inorganic Silicate Aerogel Pillared by Nanoclusters for High Temperature Thermal Insulation

Layered inorganic material, with large-area interlayer surface and interface, provides an essential material platform for constructing new configuration of functional materials. Herein, a layered material pillared with nanoclusters realizing high temperature thermal insulation performance is demonstrated for the first time. Specifically, systematic synchrotron radiation spectroscopy and finite element calculation analysis show that ZrO_x nanoclusters served as "pillars" to effectively produce porous structures with enough boundary defect while maintaining the layered structure, thereby significantly reducing solid state thermal conductivity (≈0.32 W m^-1  K^-1 , 298-573 K). Moreover, the layered inorganic silicate material assembled aerogel also exhibits superior thermal insulation performance from room temperature (0.034 W m^-1  K^-1 , 298 K, air conditions) to high temperature (0.187 W m^-1  K^-1 , 1073 K, air conditions) and largely enhanced compressive strength (42 kPa at 80% compression), which is the best layered material-based aerogel that has achieved synergistic improvement in thermal and mechanical performance so far. Layered inorganic silicate aerogel pillared by nanoclusters will pave a new avenue for the design of advanced thermal insulation materials under extreme conditions.