Nanostructure of Aerogels and Their Applications in Thermal Energy Insulation

The recent global energy context has been recognized as evidence for the need to reduce our energy consumption, to prolong fossil fuel supplies and minimize shortage, and to decelerate greenhouse gas transpiration. Over the past few years, using an insulator and decreasing its thermal conductivity have been recognized as the most effective way to reduce energy consumption. Aerogels as superinsulating materials permit reduction of the heat exchange between two environments while producing facile sol–gel and diverse drying routes. Aerogels have intrigued scientists and engineers due to their unique nanocharacteristics, such as low density, fine internal void spaces, and open-pore geometry, which originate from sol particles in a 3D random network. Noteworthy are aerogel-based materials that have a supreme potential as thermal insulation owing to their very low thermal conductivity based on trapped air in the meso-/nanoporous structure. Indeed, aerogels have great appeal in terms of their thermal efficiency,...