Robust Carbonaceous Nanofiber Aerogels from All Biomass Precursors

Aerogels, a type of fascinating material with very low density and high surface area, show many unique properties and unlimited applications. To boost their practical applications, it is necessary to develop efficient, controllable, and low-cost methods to produce high-performance aerogels on a large-scale, preferably in a sustainable way. Here, a general strategy is reported for controllable fabrication of a family of carbonaceous nanofiber aerogels (CNFAs) by biomass-derived nanofibers template-directed hydrothermal carbonization method. Abundant functional groups are exposed on the surface of the prepared carbonaceous nanofibers. Importantly, in contrast to traditional nature biopolymer-based aerogels, a superior combination of good recoverability and high strength is achieved for the CNFAs by adjusting the synthetic parameters. The successful synthesis of such fascinating materials provides an excellent platform for design and construction of devices for fast water treatment. The synthetic strategy and sustainable concept presented in this work will open a new way to prepare advanced aerogels with unique properties for wide applications.