An aerogel that includes an open-cell structure and a polymer matrix is disclosed. The polymer matrix can include a branched polyimide polymer having a degree of branching of at least 0.5. The polymer matrix can contain less than 5% by weight of crosslinked polymers.

Aerogels comprising a hydrophobic polyimide moiety, including hydrophobic polyimide aerogels, as well as methods of manufacture and applications thereof, are generally described.

An organic polymer aerogel that includes an organic polymer gel matrix and microstructures dispersed or embedded within the aerogel is disclosed. The aerogel can have an at least bimodal pore size distribution comprising a first peak of less than or equal to 65 nm and a second peak greater than or equal to 100 nm.

An aerogel that includes an open-cell structure and a polymer matrix that includes a polyimide polymer is disclosed. The polymer matrix can contain less than 5% by weight of crosslinked polymers.

A macroporous-structured polymeric aerogel, and methods for making and using the same, having a polymeric matrix that includes macropores is disclosed.

Systems and methods for producing aerogel materials are generally described. In certain cases, the methods do not require supercritical drying as part of the manufacturing process. In some cases, certain combinations of materials, solvents, and/or processing steps may be synergistically employed so as to enable manufacture of large (e.g., meter-scale), substantially crack free, and/or mechanically strong aerogel materials.

An evaporative air dried and thermally dried porous polymeric material in the form of a film having an organic polymeric matrix is disclosed. The porous polymeric material can include macropores having a size greater than 50 nanometers (nm), and the polymeric material is not-crosslinked.