Issue

Vol. 19 (2027)

Continuous Fabrication of Bioinspired All-Biomass Aerogel Fibers for Thermal Insulation

https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-026-02332-3
Meiling Zhou
National Local Joint Laboratory for Advanced Textile Processing and Clean Production, Wuhan Textile University, Wuhan 430200, People’s Republic of China
Qiaoling Xue
National Local Joint Laboratory for Advanced Textile Processing and Clean Production, Wuhan Textile University, Wuhan 430200, People’s Republic of China
Lulu Fu
National Local Joint Laboratory for Advanced Textile Processing and Clean Production, Wuhan Textile University, Wuhan 430200, People’s Republic of China
Beini Zeng
National Local Joint Laboratory for Advanced Textile Processing and Clean Production, Wuhan Textile University, Wuhan 430200, People’s Republic of China
Shengnan Ouyang
National Local Joint Laboratory for Advanced Textile Processing and Clean Production, Wuhan Textile University, Wuhan 430200, People’s Republic of China
Shouwei Zhang
National Local Joint Laboratory for Advanced Textile Processing and Clean Production, Wuhan Textile University, Wuhan 430200, People’s Republic of China
Jinming Zhang
CAS Key Laboratory of Engineering Plastics, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing 100190, People’s Republic of China
Qingtao Liu
National Local Joint Laboratory for Advanced Textile Processing and Clean Production, Wuhan Textile University, Wuhan 430200, People’s Republic of China
Xungai Wang
State Key Laborratory of Bio‑based Fiber Materials, College of Textile Science and Engineering, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310023, People’s Republic of China
Jinfeng Wang
National Local Joint Laboratory for Advanced Textile Processing and Clean Production, Wuhan Textile University, Wuhan 430200, People’s Republic of China

Corresponding Author: Jinfeng Wang

Jinfeng.wang@wtu.edu.cn

Nano-Micro Letters, Vol. 19 (2027), Article Number: 23

Abstract

Aerogel fibers have been considered as a promising solution for thermal protection textiles due to their high porosity and low thermal conductivity. However, the scalable production of sustainable and mechanical strong aerogel fibers remains a critical challenge. Here, inspired by the porous core–shell structure of polar bear hair, we report a continuous strategy to fabricate all-biomass aerogel fibers featuring an encapsulated core–shell architecture using silk fibroin as the core and cellulose as the shell. This tunable structure, with radially aligned sheet-like pores and adjustable shell thickness, is achieved through hydrogen bond-driven cellulose contraction and alcohol-induced curing of sheet-like silk fibroin. Such a porous architecture effectively suppresses convective heat transfer and promotes a multi-reflective effect for infrared radiation. The resulting fibers exhibit good mechanical robustness with a tensile load of a single aerogel fiber is up to 200 g without reinforcement. Meanwhile, the aerogel fiber maintains high porosity (79.78%), low thermal conductivity (52.4 ± 4.2 mW m−1 K−1), and low density (0.193 ± 0.01 g cm−3). Furthermore, an aerogel glove fabricated from these fibers demonstrates good thermal insulation. These results provide new insights for the design of biomimetic aerogel fibers with core–shell architecture, offering a scalable and eco-friendly pathway toward advanced wearable thermal management.


Highlights:
1 A scalable continuous method was established for fabricating all-biomass aerogel fibers.
2 Hydrogen-bond-driven cellulose shrinkage and alcohol-cured silk fibroin collaboratively enabled the formation of a core-shell aerogel fiber with aligned lamellar pores in the core.
3 The hierarchical aerogel fibers exhibit low thermal conductivity (52.4 ± 4.2 mW m−1 K−1), low density (0.193 ± 0.01 g cm−3), excellent mechanical flexibility, wash stability, and effective thermal protection.

Keywords

Biomimetic core–shell structure Aerogel fibers Thermal insulation Biomass Polar bear hair
Zhou, Meiling, Qiaoling Xue, Lulu Fu, Beini Zeng, Shengnan Ouyang, Shouwei Zhang, Jinming Zhang, Qingtao Liu, Xungai Wang, and Jinfeng Wang. 2026. “Continuous Fabrication of Bioinspired All-Biomass Aerogel Fibers for Thermal Insulation”. Nano-Micro Letters 19 (August):23. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-026-02332-3.
Download Citation
Endnote/Zotero/Mendeley (RIS)
BibTeX
References
  1. H. Chen, Y. Ding, G. Zhu, Y. Liu, Q. Fang et al., A new route to fabricate flexible, breathable composites with advanced thermal management capability for wearable electronics. npj Flex. Electron. 7, 24 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41528-023-00257-0
  2. Q. Zhang, L. Qiu, P. He, N. Shao, J. Liu et al., Biomimetic hollow graphene aerogel fibers for thermal management and flexible smart textiles. Adv. Funct. Mater. 36(39), e74573 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.74573
  3. D. Pan, Z. Han, J. Lei, Y. Niu, H. Liu et al., Core-shell structured BN/SiO2 nanofiber membrane featuring with dual-effect thermal management and flame retardancy for extreme space thermal protection. Sci. Bull. 70(5), 722–732 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scib.2025.01.005
  4. Y. Kou, K. Sun, J. Luo, F. Zhou, H. Huang et al., An intrinsically flexible phase change film for wearable thermal managements. Energy Storage Mater. 34, 508–514 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ensm.2020.10.014
  5. M. Lian, W. Ding, S. Liu, Y. Wang, T. Zhu et al., Highly porous yet transparent mechanically flexible aerogels realizing solar-thermal regulatory cooling. Nano-Micro Lett. 16(1), 131 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-024-01356-x
  6. J. Huang, H. Wu, Z. Su, Cellulose hierarchical sponge-aerogel fibersviaionic liquid-assisted coaxial wet spinning: lightweight architectures for gas detection and adaptive thermal management. J. Mater. Chem. A 13(29), 23882–23892 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1039/d5ta01915j
  7. Z. Ge, S. Hu, J. Yang, K. Zhou, Y. Zhang et al., A bioinspired multilevel porous fiber-based wearable sensor with integrated thermal management, energy harvesting, and assisted sign language recognition. Adv. Fiber Mater. (2026). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42765-026-00718-x
  8. Z. Zhu, Z. Tian, Y. Liu, S. Yue, Y. Li et al., Human nervous system inspired modified graphene nanoplatelets/cellulose nanofibers-based wearable sensors with superior thermal management and electromagnetic interference shielding. Adv. Funct. Mater. 34(28), 2315851 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202315851
  9. H. He, L. Liu, X. Liu, H. Ding, C. Wang et al., Biomimetic, highly adhesive, self-repairing and fire-protective polymeric coatings for polyurethane foam. Chem. Eng. J. 519, 165179 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2025.165179
  10. T. Zhou, Y. Xu, Y. Zhen, K. Wu, H. Ding et al., Layered inorganic silicate aerogel pillared by nanoclusters for high temperature thermal insulation. Adv. Mater. 35(49), 2306135 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202306135
  11. J. Cui, A. Feng, K. Liu, J. Chen, L. Mi et al., Construction of Ti3C2Tx MXene composite PI nanogel fiber with excellent infrared stealth performance. Small 22(35), e73662 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.73662
  12. X. Li, G. Dong, Z. Liu, X. Zhang, Polyimide aerogel fibers with superior flame resistance, strength, hydrophobicity, and flexibility made via a universal sol–gel confined transition strategy. ACS Nano 15(3), 4759–4768 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.0c09391
  13. N. Ganonyan, J. He, A. Temkin, I. Felner, R. Gvishi et al., Ultralight monolithic magnetite aerogel. Appl. Mater. Today 22, 100955 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmt.2021.100955
  14. S.G. Mosanenzadeh, S. Karamikamkar, Z. Saadatnia, C.B. Park, H.E. Naguib, PPDA–PMDA polyimide aerogels with tailored nanostructure assembly for air filtering applications. Sep. Purif. Technol. 250, 117279 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seppur.2020.117279
  15. H. Sun, W. Mu, X. Cui, Z. Xu, T. Zhang et al., Polymer-encapsulated aerogel fibers prepared via coaxial wet spinning with stepwise coagulation for thermal insulation. ACS Appl. Polym. Mater. 5(1), 552–559 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1021/acsapm.2c01648
  16. Y. Wang, S. Xi, B. Zhou, G. Zu, X. Liang et al., Superhydrophobic highly flexible triple-network polyorganosiloxane-based aerogels for thermal insulation, oil–water separation, and strain/pressure sensing. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 16(23), 30324–30335 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.4c01940
  17. L. Wang, W. Lian, B. Yin, X. Liu, S. Tang, Silica nanowires-reinforced silica aerogels with outstanding thermal insulation, thermal stability and mechanical properties. Ceram. Int. 50(4), 6693–6702 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceramint.2023.12.008
  18. L. Wang, J. Feng, Y. Luo, Y. Jiang, G. Zhang, Versatile thermal-solidifying direct-write assembly towards heat-resistant 3D-printed ceramic aerogels for thermal insulation. Small Methods 6(5), 2200045 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1002/smtd.202200045
  19. R. Zhang, E.S. Kim, S. Romero-Diez, Y. Wang, G. Huang et al., Cyclic olefin copolymer foam: a promising thermal insulation material. Chem. Eng. J. 409, 128251 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2020.128251
  20. J. Wu, Y. Wang, P. Song, M. Sang, Z. Fan et al., Asymmetric aramid aerogel composite with durable and covert thermal management via Janus heat transfer structure. Nano Lett. 24(44), 14020–14027 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.4c03652
  21. J. Hu, J. Ye, P. Jafari, B. Hou, J. Li et al., Designing MOF-cellulose bio-aerogels for electromagnetic management and fire-acoustic safety. Research 9, 1111 (2026). https://doi.org/10.34133/research.1111
  22. J. Feng, Z. Ma, J. Wu, Z. Zhou, Z. Liu et al., Fire-safe aerogels and foams for thermal insulation: from materials to properties. Adv. Mater. 37(3), 2411856 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202411856
  23. Z. Liu, Z. Sheng, Y. Bao, Q. Cheng, P.-X. Wang et al., Ionic liquid directed spinning of cellulose aerogel fibers with superb toughness for weaved thermal insulation and transient impact protection. ACS Nano 17(18), 18411–18420 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.3c05894
  24. S. Zhou, V. Apostolopoulou-Kalkavoura, M.V. Tavares da Costa, L. Bergström, M. Strømme et al., Elastic aerogels of cellulose Nanofibers@Metal-organic frameworks for thermal insulation and fire retardancy. Nano-Micro Lett. 12(1), 9 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-019-0343-4
  25. W. Xiao, P. Wang, X. Song, B. Liao, K. Yan et al., Facile fabrication of anisotropic chitosan aerogel with hydrophobicity and thermal superinsulation for advanced thermal management. ACS Sustain. Chem. Eng. 9(28), 9348–9357 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.1c02217
  26. H. Sun, W. Liu, H. Xing, X. Liu, H. Wang et al., Mechano-thermo-acoustic multifunctional sensor based on an MXene/silk fibroin aerogel. ACS Nano 19(44), 38533–38543 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.5c12404
  27. J. Yang, W. Jia, L. Wu, L. Huang, T. Xiao et al., Compressible lignin-enhanced holocellulose aerogel for adsorption applications. Carbohydr. Polym. 381, 125116 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbpol.2026.125116
  28. H. Ge, G. Liu, F. Liu, Review on the application of biomass-based aerogels in the field of thermal insulation. Int. J. Biol. Macromol. 299, 140230 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.140230
  29. X. Yang, W. Miao, X. Sun, Y.-T. Pan, Recent advances in sustainable biomass-based aerogels: a review. RSC Sustain. 3(10), 4298–4313 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1039/d5su00497g
  30. Y. Wang, Y. Cui, Z. Shao, W. Gao, W. Fan et al., Multifunctional polyimide aerogel textile inspired by polar bear hair for thermoregulation in extreme environments. Chem. Eng. J. 390, 124623 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2020.124623
  31. Z. Liu, J. Lyu, D. Fang, X. Zhang, Nanofibrous kevlar aerogel threads for thermal insulation in harsh environments. ACS Nano 13(5), 5703–5711 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.9b01094
  32. Z. Wen, J. Lyu, Y. Ding, B. Liu, X. Zhang, Aerogel fibers made via generic sol-gel centrifugal spinning strategy enable dynamic removal of volatile organic compounds from high-flux gas. Adv. Funct. Mater. 34(44), 2407221 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202407221
  33. H. He, Q. Jiang, Y. Wan, M.H. Mia, X. Qu et al., Biological skin-inspired damage warning and self-healing thermoelectric aerogel fiber via coaxial wet spinning for wearable temperature sensing. J. Mater. Sci. Technol. 250, 257–271 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmst.2025.06.038
  34. S. Metwally, S. Martínez Comesaña, M. Zarzyka, P.K. Szewczyk, J.E. Karbowniczek et al., Thermal insulation design bioinspired by microstructure study of penguin feather and polar bear hair. Acta Biomater. 91, 270–283 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actbio.2019.04.031
  35. M. Wu, Z. Shao, N. Zhao, R. Zhang, G. Yuan et al., Biomimetic, knittable aerogel fiber for thermal insulation textile. Science 382(6677), 1379–1383 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adj8013
  36. Y. Cui, H. Gong, Y. Wang, D. Li, H. Bai, A thermally insulating textile inspired by polar bear hair. Adv. Mater. 30(14), 1706807 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.201706807
  37. D.N. Rockwood, R.C. Preda, T. Yücel, X. Wang, M.L. Lovett et al., Materials fabrication from Bombyx mori silk fibroin. Nat. Protoc. 6(10), 1612–1631 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/nprot.2011.379
  38. T. Liu, M. Huang, X. Li, C. Wang, C.-X. Gui et al., Highly compressible anisotropic graphene aerogels fabricated by directional freezing for efficient absorption of organic liquids. Carbon 100, 456–464 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbon.2016.01.038
  39. H. Zhang, A.I. Cooper, Aligned porous structures by directional freezing. Adv. Mater. 19(11), 1529–1533 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.200700154
  40. S. Deville, The lure of ice-templating: recent trends and opportunities for porous materials. Scr. Mater. 147, 119–124 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scriptamat.2017.06.020
  41. O.A. Tafreshi, S.G. Mosanenzadeh, S. Karamikamkar, Z. Saadatnia, C.B. Park et al., A review on multifunctional aerogel fibers: processing, fabrication, functionalization, and applications. Mater. Today Chem. 23, 100736 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mtchem.2021.100736
  42. W.L. Li, K. Lu, J.Y. Walz, Freeze casting of porous materials: review of critical factors in microstructure evolution. Int. Mater. Rev. 57(1), 37–60 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1179/1743280411Y.0000000011
  43. S. Deville, Freeze-casting of porous biomaterials: structure, properties and opportunities. Materials 3(3), 1913–1927 (2010). https://doi.org/10.3390/ma3031913
  44. Y. Chen, S. Li, X. Li, C. Mei, J. Zheng et al., Liquid transport and real-time dye purification via lotus petiole-inspired long-range-ordered anisotropic cellulose nanofibril aerogels. ACS Nano 15(12), 20666–20677 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.1c10093
  45. J. Zhou, Y.-L. Hsieh, Nanocellulose aerogel-based porous coaxial fibers for thermal insulation. Nano Energy 68, 104305 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nanoen.2019.104305
  46. W. Mu, S. University, H. Cao, S. University, X. Cui et al., Multifunctional polymer-encapsulated aerogel fibers with thermal insulation, active heating, and phase change energy storage abilities. ACS Appl. Polym. Mater. 6(24), 15162–15171 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1021/acsapm.4c02756
  47. H. Yang, Z. Wang, Z. Liu, H. Cheng, C. Li, Continuous, strong, porous silk firoin-based aerogel fibers toward textile thermal insulation. Polymers 11(11), 1899 (2019). https://doi.org/10.3390/polym11111899
Read More
Author biographies are not available.

Most read articles by the same author(s)