In this work, it is reported a scalable and systematic protocol for the preparation of xerogels based on the use of green, highly available, and low‐cost materials, i.e. halloysite nanoclay and chitosan, without the need for any expensive equipment or operational/energetic demands. Starting from colloidal dispersions, rheological studies demonstrate the formation of hydrogels with zero‐shear viscosities enhanced by ≈9 orders of magnitude and higher storage moduli. Hence, the corresponding self‐standing xerogels are prepared by a simple solvent casting method and their properties depend on the concentration of halloysite, possessing enhanced thermal stability and outstanding mechanical performances (elastic modulus and ultimate elongation of 165 MPa and 43%, respectively). The resulting biohybrid materials can be exploited for environmental remediation. High removal efficiencies are reached for the capture of organic molecules from aqueous media and the CO2 capture from the atmosphere is also investigated. Most importantly, the presence of an inorganic skeleton within the xerogels prevents the structure from collapsing upon drying and it allows for the control over their morphology and shape. Therefore, taking advantage of the overall features, the designed xerogels offer an attractive strategy for sustainably tackling pollution and for environmental remediation in a plethora of different domains.

中文翻译：

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自立式生物杂交干凝胶，结合纳米管状粘土，可持续去除污染物


在这项工作中，报道了一种可扩展的系统方案，用于使用绿色、高可用性和低成本材料（即埃洛石纳米粘土和壳聚糖）制备干凝胶，而无需任何昂贵的设备或操作/能源需求。从胶体分散体开始，流变学研究表明，可以形成具有零剪切粘度的水凝胶，其强度提高了 ≈9 个数量级和更高的储能模量。因此，通过简单的溶剂浇铸方法制备了相应的自立式干凝胶，其性能取决于埃洛石的浓度，具有增强的热稳定性和出色的机械性能（弹性模量和极限伸长率分别为 165 MPa 和 43%）。由此产生的生物混合材料可用于环境修复。从水性介质中捕获有机分子达到了高去除效率，并且还研究了从大气中捕获 CO2 的情况。最重要的是，干凝胶中存在无机骨架可以防止结构在干燥时塌陷，并允许控制它们的形态和形状。因此，利用整体功能，设计的干凝胶为可持续解决污染和众多不同领域的环境修复提供了一种有吸引力的策略。