Cellulose Nanofibril Aerogels: Synergistic Improvement of Hydrophobicity, Strength, and Thermal Stability via Cross-Linking with Diisocyanate

/g) from numerous new 9-12 nm wide mesopores as well as significantly improved thermal stability (43% char residue at 500 C vs 9.1% for un-cross-linked aerogel). Cross-linking also made the amphiphilic CNF aerogel highly hydrophobic and capable of completely separating chloroform from water via simple filtration. These nanocellulose aerogels show great promise for efficient and continuous separation of oils and hydrophobic liquids from water.