Table 1 Physical properties of cryogels and aerogels synthesized in this study.
From: Diatom-inspired silicification process for development of green flexible silica composite aerogels
Cryogel/aerogel | TEOS concentration [M] | pH | Hydrophobization | Bulk density, \({\rho }_{bulk}\) [g/cm3] | Volume shrinkage, \(\eta\) [%] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Freeze drying (FD) | |||||
SFO:PEI | – | – | – | \(0.037\pm 0.003\) | \(8.6\pm 4.5\) |
SFO:SiO2-0.08–3 | 0.08 | 3 | – | \(0.035\pm 0.001\) | \(0\) |
SFO:PEI:SiO2-0.08–3 | 0.08 | 3 | – | \(0.048\pm 0.009\) | \(13.1\pm 2.9\) |
Supercritical drying (SCD) | |||||
SFO:PEI | – | – | – | \(0.124\pm 0.020\) | \(71.7\pm 3.2\) |
SFO:PEI:SiO2-0.5–1 | 0.5 | 1 | – | \(0.186\pm 0.003\) | \(76.5\pm 1.8\) |
SFO:PEI:SiO2-0.5–1* | 0.5 | 1 | Yes | \(0.079\pm 0.007\) | \(40.0\pm 8.2\) |
