Biobased Aerogels

Book excerpt: Aerogels have been in use for over 80 years and have been utilised in a wide variety of applications, in particular, there has been growing use of insulating nanoporous materials in the aerospace industry. Recent awareness of the environmental implications of materials has driven researchers to develop new green materials, with aerogels being developed using biobased constituents, such as polysaccharides and proteins. Recently, biobased components, such as cellulose nanocrystals, have replaced synthetic counterparts in the production of nanoporous materials. Biobased Aerogels is the first book to cover aerogel research from a green perspective, using commentary and analysis from leading researchers working in the field. Aerogels based on polysaccharides and proteins, their preparation and characterisation will be covered in detail, with further discussion highlighting properties such as surface morphology, shape recovery, mechanical properties and adsorption capacity. This insightful and timely publication will provide essential reading for those researchers and industrialists working within the green chemistry field.