Chen Bo, Jiang Qiyang, Tu Jing, Xiong Xinhong, Cui Jiaxi
Yangtze Delta Region Institute (Huzhou), University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Huzhou, 313001, P. R. China.
Institute of Fundamental and Frontier Sciences, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China Chengdu, Sichuan, 611731, P. R. China.
ChemSusChem. 2025 Apr 14;18(8):e202402119. doi: 10.1002/cssc.202402119. Epub 2025 Jan 20.
Silica aerogels (SAs) have garnered significant attention due to their high porosity, low density, hydrophobic properties, low thermal conductivity, and optical transparency. The traditional method for producing SAs, known as "sol-gel" technology, involves precursor preparation, aging, and drying processes. However, aerogels produced through this method often exhibit drawbacks such as poor processability and low precision, which prevent them from fully leveraging their potential properties, including catalysis, adsorption, insulation, and sensing. In contrast, direct ink writing (DIW) technology offers a promising avenue for creating functional structures from SAs. This technique enables the production of inks with shear-thinning behavior, facilitating the high-precision printing of complex SA structures. This review summarizes the advancements in DIW additive manufacturing (AM) of SAs and the challenges currently faced in this field. Briefly, we first introduce the ink preparation, 3D printing process, drying and heat treatment suitable for DIW 3D printing of silica aerogels, followed by the discussion of the current state of research and key challenges of DIW 3D printing SAs.
二氧化硅气凝胶（SAs）因其高孔隙率、低密度、疏水性、低导热性和光学透明性而备受关注。生产SAs的传统方法，即“溶胶-凝胶”技术，涉及前驱体制备、老化和干燥过程。然而，通过这种方法生产的气凝胶往往存在加工性能差和精度低等缺点，这使得它们无法充分发挥其潜在性能，包括催化、吸附、绝缘和传感性能。相比之下，直接墨水书写（DIW）技术为利用SAs创建功能结构提供了一条有前景的途径。该技术能够生产具有剪切变稀行为的墨水，便于高精度打印复杂的SA结构。本文综述了SAs的DIW增材制造（AM）进展以及该领域目前面临的挑战。简而言之，我们首先介绍适用于二氧化硅气凝胶DIW 3D打印的墨水制备方法、3D打印过程、干燥和热处理，随后讨论DIW 3D打印SAs的研究现状和关键挑战。
