Niu Yutong, Li Fuzhong, Zhao Wuxi, Cheng Wei
College of Materials, Xiamen University, 422 Siming South Road, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, China.
Nanoscale. 2021 Apr 30;13(16):7430-7446. doi: 10.1039/d0nr09236c.
Assembly of nanowires into three-dimensional macroscopic aerogels not only bridges a gap between nanowires and macroscopic bulk materials but also combines the benefits of two worlds: unique structural features of aerogels and unique physical and chemical properties of nanowires, which has triggered significant progress in the design and fabrication of nanowire-based aerogels for a diverse range of practical applications. This article reviews the methods developed for processing nanowires into three-dimensional monolithic aerogels and the applications of the resultant nanowire aerogels in many emerging fields. Detailed discussions are given on gelation mechanisms involved in every preparation method and the pros and cons of the different methods. Furthermore, we systematically scrutinize the application of nanowire-based aerogels in the fields of thermal management, energy storage and conversion, catalysis, adsorbents, sensors, and solar steam generation. The unique benefits offered by nanowire-based aerogels in every application field are clarified. We also discuss how to improve the performance of nanowire-based aerogels in those fields by engineering the compositions and structures of the aerogels. Finally, we provide our perspectives on future development of nanowire-based aerogels.
将纳米线组装成三维宏观气凝胶不仅弥合了纳米线与宏观块状材料之间的差距，还融合了两个领域的优势：气凝胶独特的结构特征以及纳米线独特的物理和化学性质，这在基于纳米线的气凝胶的设计和制造方面引发了显著进展，使其可用于各种实际应用。本文综述了将纳米线加工成三维整体气凝胶的方法以及所得纳米线气凝胶在许多新兴领域的应用。详细讨论了每种制备方法中涉及的凝胶化机制以及不同方法的优缺点。此外，我们系统地审视了基于纳米线的气凝胶在热管理、能量存储与转换、催化、吸附剂、传感器和太阳能蒸汽产生等领域的应用。阐明了基于纳米线的气凝胶在每个应用领域所提供的独特优势。我们还讨论了如何通过设计气凝胶的组成和结构来提高基于纳米线的气凝胶在这些领域的性能。最后，我们对基于纳米线的气凝胶的未来发展提出了看法。
