Using nanocapsules as building blocks to fabricate organic polymer nanofoam with ultra low thermal conductivity and high mechanical strength

A new strategy using the performed nanocapsules with well-defined highly crosslinked polymer shell as building blocks was proposed to fabricate the organic polymeric nanofoam. This new strategy allowed us to fabricate the high performance organic polymeric nanofoam, for the first time, under normal drying conditions. The thermal conductivities of the nanofoams in the forms of powder and monolith were far lower than that of the stagnant air and half those of the standard commercial polymer foams. The nanofoam monoliths showed the crush strength up to 8.55 ± 2.10 MPa and compressive strain at break up to 45% ± 6%.