Microfluidic Production of Ultrathin-Shelled Gas Microcapsules as Building Blocks for Recyclable Thermal Insulators
발표자
오승헌 (한국과학기술원)
연구책임자
김신현 (한국과학기술원)
공동저자
오승헌 (한국과학기술원), 김신현 (한국과학기술원)
초록
내용
The integration of gas phases into solid matrices is a fundamental strategy for thermal insulation. However, precisely controlling the gas-phase morphology while ensuring the recyclability of the material remains a significant challenge. In this study, we propose a new approach to construct recyclable insulators by binding precisely engineered gas-core microcapsules. Using a capillary microfluidic strategy with gas-in-oil-in-water (G/O/W) emulsion templates, we produced microcapsules with ultrathin polymer shells and high structural uniformity. These capsules serve as discrete building blocks that are bound together via a vitrimer-based covalent adaptable network (CAN) acting as a dynamic binder. Notably, the building blocks can be successfully recovered and reused by triggering the chemical degradation of the vitrimer binder. By combining microfluidic precision with a reconfigurable assembly approach, this work demonstrates a novel framework for modular thermal insulation that is both sustainable and reprocessable.