Gels and nanocomposites containing ANFS

A method comprising:

• a. preparing branched ANFs suspended in an aprotic solvent with addition of reaction media, the reaction media comprising a protic component and a base, preparing the branched ANFs leading to splitting of micro- and microscale fibers of polymers into nanofibers with branched morphology;
• b. the diameter of the nanofibers not exceeding 100 nm;
• c. wherein high monodispersity of the nanofibers has a diameter distribution controlled by the reaction media and such that 90% of the nanofibers are distributed within 20 nm of a mean diameter of the nanofibers;
• d. wherein branching of the nanofibers is controlled by an amount of the protic component in the reaction media and/or a composition of the base such that the number of branches for each nanofiber varies between 3 and 20;
• e. transforming a suspension of the branched ANFs by diffusing water, other protic solvent, or a mixture of the water and the other protic solvent, into the suspension to make a hydrogel comprising the branched ANFs assembled into three-dimensional percolated networks (3DPNs);
• f. wherein transforming the suspension comprises extruding the hydrogel or the suspension of the branched ANFs to form a manifestation of moldable 3DPNs based on the branched ANFs;
• g. transforming the hydrogel into an aerogel;
• h. molding of the aerogel into a shape during or after transformation from the hydrogel;
• and
• i. incorporating polymeric and nanoscale components into the hydrogel or the aerogel.