Bioinspired Multifunctional Flexible C-SiC Fibrous Aerogel for Superior Electromagnetic Interference Shielding Under...

The flexible, lightweight, and high-temperature-resistant aerogels with both thermal insulation and electromagnetic shielding functions are urgently required in many high-tech fields. Although carbon-based aerogels are promising, they are not satisfactory due to complex manufacturing processes and poor oxidation resistance (<500°C). Therefore, it is still a great challenge to design materials with processing advantages and multiple functions. Drawing inspiration from the unique structure of momordica charantia, this work developed a biomimetic C-SiC fibrous aerogel by employing low-cost polysiloxane and polyacrylonitrile as precursor materials. The C-SiC fiber exhibited special surface morphology with protrusions and hierarchical pores, as well as a loose core after a fabrication procedure involving centrifugal spinning and high-temperature sintering processes. The momordica charantia-like structure endowed the flexible C-SiC fibrous aerogel with ultralow density of 3.9 mg cm^-3, exceptionally low thermal conductivity (9.12 mW m^-1 K^-1), and an ultrahigh specific electromagnetic shielding effectiveness (346 828.6 dB cm² g^-1). Besides compressibility and resilience, the aerogel exhibited outstanding acid-alkali corrosion resistance, ultrahigh-temperature stability (2000°C), and relatively good oxidation resistance (1000°C). This work delivered a scalable, cost-effective biomimetic strategy for fabricating high-performance fibrous aerogels as next-generation structure-function integrated materials, with potential applications in aerospace thermal protection and related high-temperature environments.