Copolymer-silica hybrid aerogels and methods for the preparation thereof

A method of preparing a copolymer-silica hybrid aerogel, the method comprising:

• (a) hydrolyzing and condensing a silica precursor of Formula (I):
• wherein R1a, R1b, R1c and R1d are each independently a hydrolysable group,
• in an organic solvent to obtain a partially polymerized silica wet gel;
• (b) reacting the partially polymerized silica wet gel with a copolymer of Formula (II):
• wherein
• R2 is H or methyl;
• R3a, R3b and R3c are each independently a hydrolysable group;
• R4 is chosen from a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group and a substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl group;
• A is C2-10alkylene;
• and
• x is a molar fraction of from 0.1 to 0.95,
• to obtain a copolymer-silica hybrid wet gel;
• (c) reacting the copolymer-silica hybrid wet gel with a surface passivation agent;
• and
• (d) removing solvent from the copolymer-silica hybrid wet gel to obtain the copolymer-silica hybrid aerogel.
• (e) hydrolyzing and condensing the silica precursor of Formula (I) in the presence of cellulose nanofibrils. Then the processes b-d were repeated to prepare copolymer-silica-nanocellulose hybrid aerogel.