Building-Envelope-Inspired, Thermomechanically Robust All-Fiber Ceramic Meta-Aerogel for Temperature-Controlled Dominant Infrared Camouflage

The unsatisfactory properties of ceramic aerogels when subjected to thermal shock, such as strength degradation and structural collapse, render them unsuitable for use at large thermal gradients or prolonged exposure to extreme temperatures. Here we present a building-envelope-inspired design for fabricating a thermomechanically robust all-fiber ceramic meta-aerogel with interlocked fibrous interfaces and an interwoven cellular structure in the orthogonal directions, which is achieved through a two-stage physical and chemical process. Inspired by the reinforced-concrete building envelope, we construct a solid foundation composed of fibrous frames and enhance it through supramolecular in situ self-assembly to achieve high compressibility, retaining over 90% of maximum stress under a considerable compressive strain of 50% for 10000 cycles, and showing temperature-invariance when compressed at 60% strain within the range of –100 to 500 °C. As a result of its distinct response to oscillation tolerance coupled with elastic recovery, the all-fiber ceramic meta-aerogel exhibits exceptional suitability for thermal shock resistance and infrared camouflage performance in cold (–196 °C) and hot (1300 °C) fields. This study provides an opportunity for developing ceramic aerogels for effective thermal management under extreme conditions. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved