Overview
- MOCHI, a Mesoporous Optically Clear Heat Insulator, was created by CU Boulder researchers and detailed in Science on December 11.
- The silicone gel is more than 90% air and reflects about 0.2% of incoming light, preserving clear views through windows.
- A 5-millimeter sheet blocks heat strongly enough to safely buffer a flame from the hand in lab demonstrations.
- The material is formed by templating silicone around surfactant threads, then removing the detergent to leave an air-filled pore network.
- Production remains lab-scale and time-intensive, though the team points to inexpensive ingredients and process streamlining as paths toward commercialization and building-energy applications.