Advantages of Gradient All-Nanostructure in Aerogel Fibers for Thermal Insulation and Mechanical Properties

• • Microfluidic spinning with DMSO sheath eliminates the dense surface layer typical of wet-spun aramid aerogel fibers, enabling a gradient all-nanostructure that balances thermal insulation and mechanical strength. • • The process leverages three mechanisms: hydrodynamic-induced concentration gradient (outer-low/inner-high), protonation-induced sol-gel transition for pore stabilization, and supercritical CO₂ drying to collapse surface macropores into smaller nanopores, yielding optimized thermal resistance. • • Raman mapping of the aramid I band at 1610 cm⁻¹ reveals a distinct radial distribution of nanostructure in GAFs versus the skin-core configuration of SAFs, providing a quantitative metric for structural control. • • The referenced study (Nat Commun, 2025, 16: 2357) reports enhanced thermal insulation and mechanical properties, addressing the mechanical weakness and wide thermal conductivity range that hinder conventional aerogel fibers in personal thermal management textiles.