Extreme Resilience: Scalable Electrospun Carbon Nanofiber aerogels with Ultrahigh Elasticity and Temperature Tolerance

The rapid development of the field of aerospace engineering has driven the advancement of special materials with extreme temperature tolerance, mechanical durability, and the capability to monitor physiological signals under extreme environments. However, a significant challenge has emerged in striking a balance between thermal insulation and mechanical properties due to special materials’ unstable lamellar structures and uncontrollable molding processes. Herein, we pioneer the scalable production of carbon nanofiber aerogels (CNFAs) using a volatilization–hygroscopicity synergistically induced phase-separation 3D electrospinning molding technology. Their advanced structures grant the CNFAs superb compression resistance (15 000 cycles), an extraordinarily low density (20.15 mg·cm⁻³), and ultra-low thermal conductivity (0.028 W·m⁻¹·K⁻¹). Thus, CNFAs can maintain their original morphology and mechanical behavior at temperatures ranging from –196 to 1500 °C. This breakthrough paves the way for designing and producing functional materials suitable for frontier fields such as space exploration.