PI-SiO₂ aerogel as a versatile high transparent material for photothermal cooperative management

Effectively insulating against excessive heat generated by sunlight while also avoiding harmful ultraviolet (UV) and maintaining suitable levels of visible light transparency is vital for minimizing energy consumption and optimizing sunlight utilization. To address the challenge of photothermal collaborative management, the PI consisted of high fluorinated dianhydride and aliphatic diamine was used to effectively improve the performance of SiO₂ aerogels. The resulting PI-SiO₂ aerogels retain the characteristics of SiO₂ aerogels, such as low density, high transparency between 82∼89 %, and excellent thermal insulation properties with an ultralow thermal conductivity range from 0.023 W/(m.K) to 0.028 W/(m.K). Meanwhile, the coarsened skeleton of aerogels can withstand the extreme temperature difference between −196 ℃ and 200 ℃ without brittle fracture and yellowing. In addition, PI-SiO₂ aerogels exhibit the capability to absorb a significant proportion of UV light within the 200–400 nm, offering distinct advantages in transparent thermal insulation materials. The multifunctional PI-SiO₂ aerogels can be used as candidate materials in the fields of architecture, automobile, electronics, solar energy and aerospace.