High-Performance Polymer Aerogel for Fire-Retardant and Self-Powered Devices

We report a UV-cured hybrid polymer aerogel (HPPA) that couples flame-retardant thermal shielding with triboelectric energy harvesting. A representative$\sim 8 \text{wt} \%$aerogel composition delivered open-circuit voltages up to 220 V and currents of$8 \mu \mathrm{A}$under$\sim 5 \text{Hz}$tapping, yielding a peak power density of$1050 \text{mW} / \mathrm{m}^{-2}$near 23$\mathrm{M} \Omega$. Direct-flame tests ($700^{\circ} \mathrm{C}, 1200^{\circ} \mathrm{C}$) showed strong protection: under$1200^{\circ} \mathrm{C} / 50 \mathrm{s}$, backside temperature fell to$\sim 80^{\circ} \mathrm{C}$(vs$\sim 863^{\circ} \mathrm{C}$for plain polymer). After cooling, the same device powered 25 LEDs and enabled Morsecode sensing, evidencing post-combustion functionality. These results position HPPA as a soft, fire-resilient platform for self-powered MEMS and wearable safety electronics.