Sustainable Carbon Aerogels Derived from Nanofibrillated Cellulose as High-Performance Absorption Materials

Sustainable carbon aerogels with low density (approximate to 7.8 mg cm(-3)), high porosity, high resiliency, excellent hydrophobicity, and oleophilic characteristics are synthesized by employing nanofibrillated cellulose as the precursor. The as-prepared carbon aerogels show a remarkable capacity for the absorption of a variety of oils and organic solvents with weight gains ranging from 7422 to 22356. Under extreme conditions (e.g., at severe temperatures and in corrosive liquids), these carbon aerogels still demonstrate a superior absorption performance. Furthermore, a device based on a composite sponge with carbon sheets (generated via the disintegration of our carbon aerogels) on the surface is successfully fabricated to materialize the large-scale and continuous separation of containments from water. This device significantly expands the practical applications of the carbon aerogels.