Foams with high damping capacity have high potential in noise reduction, vibration mitigation, and energy dissipation applications. However, integration of superior damping, strong mechanical properties, and effective sound absorption, into lightweight foams is still a serious challenge. Inspired by cicada wing structure, a new approach was developed to improve foam characteristics by establishing an in situ skeleton-GO network within the foam. This bioinspired network architecture partially spans the open regions defined by adjacent foam skeletons, rather than coating the skeleton or fully filling pores. This method remarkably improved the properties of the foam such that vibration attenuation time was decreased by about 83.3%, damping property was increased by about 179.3%, sound absorption was effectively enhanced, and compressive modulus was increased by about 924%, allowing the foam to tolerate 1000 times its own weight without noticeable deformation. The originally non-waterproof melamine foam becomes hydrophobic after modification, presenting contact angles of up to 114.2°. This research provided a new and versatile approach to improve synergistic multifunction of foam materials.
Feng et al. (2026) studied this question.