Additive manufacturing of hierarchical three- dimensional micro-architected aerogels

A method for making a three-dimensional micro-architected aerogel, comprising:

• (a) curing a reaction mixture comprising a co-sol-gel material and at least one catalyst to obtain a crosslinked co-sol-gel;
• (b) providing a photoresin comprising a solvent, a photoinitiator, a crosslinkable polymer precursor, and a dispersion of the crosslinked co-sol-gel;
• (c) curing the photoresin using projection microstereolithography layer-by-layer to produce a wet gel having a pre-designed three-dimensional structure;
• (d) drying the wet gel to produce a dry gel;
• and
• (e) pyrolyzing the dry gel to produce a three-dimensional micro-architected aerogel,
• wherein step (b) comprises washing the crosslinked co-sol-gel by solvent exchange, dispersing the crosslinked co-sol-gel in the solvent by sonication, and adding the photoinitiator and the crosslinkable polymer precursor to the dispersion of the crosslinked co-sol-gel.

A method for making a three-dimensional micro-architected aerogel, comprising:

• (a) curing a reaction mixture comprising a co-sol-gel material and at least one catalyst to obtain a crosslinked co-sol-gel;
• (b) providing a photoresin comprising a solvent, a photoinitiator, a crosslinkable polymer precursor, and a dispersion of the crosslinked co-sol-gel;
• (c) curing the photoresin using projection microstereolithography layer-by-layer to produce a wet gel having a pre-designed three-dimensional structure;
• (d) drying the wet gel to produce a dry gel;
• and
• (e) pyrolyzing the dry gel to produce a three-dimensional micro-architected aerogel,
• wherein step (d) comprises solvent exchange, supercritical drying, and/or freeze drying.