Low-Density, Mutually Interpenetrating Organic-Inorganic Composite Materials via Supercritical Drying Techniques

Low-density SiO 2 aerosols are an interesting class of materials for which commercial applications have been hampered by their brittle mechanical properties, hygroscopic nature, and sometimes limited transparencies. We have been interested in addressing these key problems by developing methods of homogeneously incorporating organic polymers within the SiO 2 framework. The formation of low-density organic-inorganic aerogel materials that show improved properties over conventional aerogels is reported. Two approaches are presented, both of which rely on supercritical CO 2 exchange during the drying process