One would expect an amplified effect with thicker aerogels, as a great number of diffusive paths and confined regions in the network exist. However, it is interesting to note how the 44 μm CNC−POEGMA aerogel sample did not give higher ZD compared to the 10 μm. It should be noted that the aerogel membranes are highly porous, so even at the larger thickness where the aerogel is highly compressed (∼40% compressive strain) down to the volume dictated by the Surlyn spacer (25 μm thickness), the porosity does not actually decrease much, leaving ample room for charge transfer. Thus, even though the aerogel compression does increase its density, the effects are too small to cause significant impedance to diffusion. This is unique compared to most gel polymer electrolytes reported in the literature where the ionic conductivity and interfacial properties are affected, and thus inorganic nanoparticles are sometimes added to the polymer matrix to restore DSSC efficiency.27,45,46 As compared to the earlier work of Miettunen et al.,30 the aerogel fabrication method here allows easier tuning of the aerogel density, porosity, degree of cross-linking (and thus the viscosity of the initial gel and its processability), and thickness control. Furthermore, the freezing conditions used here are milder (−30 °C freezing in the freezer vs flash-freezing in liquid nitrogen), making the current method more appealing to larger scale fabrication and applicable to more delicate conductive substrates.