Innovations Progress in Emerging Multifunctional Aramid Nanofiber Aerogels

Aerogels have attracted great attention in the academic and industrial fields due to their intrinsic low density, high porosity, and high specific surface area. As an ideal nanobuilding block for advanced aerogels, the research community has shown a strong interest in aramid nanofiber (ANF) aerogel materials and their applications in frontier fields. However, there is a lack of a comprehensive review of the basic development and practical applications of pure ANF aerogels regarding these latest achievements in the past decade. This review aims to fill this gap by comprehensively exploring the preparation, properties, application progress, challenges, and prospects of ANF aerogels. We begin with a summary of the rheological principles of ANF dispersions, different preparation strategies, and drying methods of ANF aerogels. Then, the unique properties of ANF aerogels of various morphologies and outstanding advantages based on these properties are critically reviewed. Besides, the progress of multifunctional applications in the fields of flexible thermal insulation, environmental protection, energy storage, and other fields is summarized. Finally, we explore the main challenges and prospects of ANF aerogels to give insights for further development promotion from lab-scale to industry-scale.