Affiliation:
1. School of Materials Science and Engineering Hainan University 58 Renmin Ave Haikou 570228 P.R. China
2. Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics Chinese Academy of Sciences Suzhou 215123 P.R. China
3. Prof. Xuetong Zhang Division of Surgery & Interventional Science University College London London NW3 2PF UK
Abstract
AbstractTransparent silica aerogel, serving as one typical porous and transparent material, possesses various unique features (e. g., large amounts of pores and interfaces, super‐lightweight, super thermal insulation, low refractive index similar to gas), and it has attracted great attention in the fields of science, technology, engineering, art, and others. Transparency is one important evaluation index of transparent silica aerogel, and it was influenced by various factors such as raw materials, sol‐gel reactions, phase separation, and drying methods. The structure design and fabrication of transparent silica aerogel is one huge and fine engineering. In this review, the optical/chemical guidance and design for the preparation of transparent silica aerogels are discussed, and typical applications, such as Cherenkov detectors, solar energy collection, lighting systems, and transparent fabric, were also discussed. Finally, a future outlook on the opportunities and challenges of transparent silica aerogels was proposed.
Funder
National Natural Science Foundation of China
Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province