Black fungus derived aerogel with double faced properties

Abstract Black fungus derived carbonaceous aerogel (BFA) was prepared via a convenient and energy efficient ultrasonic disposal process. The adsorption experiments of atmospheric pollutants demonstrated the superior adsorbability of black fungus aerogel on PM2.5, PM10 and formaldehyde. More importantly, black fungus aerogel (BFA) exhibited intriguing double-faced properties. We explored properties of each side of the black fungus from three aspects: water contact angle measurements, liquid selective absorption capacity and air pollutant adsorption abilities. The subsequent modification of ZnO nanosheets endowed the prepared black fungus aerogel with several valuable properties, including broad-spectrum antibacterial capability and high-efficient adsorption ability. These valuable characters implied the BFA to be a promising bacteriostat and cleaner for air and water pollution treatment.