Recent Advances in Aerogel-Based Composites (2nd Edition)

Dear Colleagues,

Aerogels are advanced structures currently receiving a great deal of interest for their ultra-low density, high porosity, and large specific surface area. Aerogels were first created by S. S. Kistler in 1931 and further developed in the 1970s based on silica and similar materials. Since then, aerogels (carbon, metallic, cellulose, etc.) and their synthesis processes have been widely reported. At present, these materials are attracting intensive research attention in the areas of thermal insulation, electrochemical energy storage and conversion, electromagnetic interference shielding, catalysis, and sensing applications.

Although many efforts have been devoted to the achievement of aerogel-based materials with desired and tunable properties, there are still many opportunities and challenges to be addressed. Their morphology, pore structure, composition, defects, and crystallinity have a great influence on their physicochemical properties and quality; hence, the procedures for the production and precise structural control of aerogel are of great importance. In particular, it is challenging to maintain the microstructure of gels during the drying process. Currently, with improved and efficient methods to obtain aerogels, satisfactory performance in their application has been achieved at the lab scale. However, aerogels can only become available on the market when their low-cost and large-scale preparation is achieved. There are many technical barriers that need to be overcome in order to realize the transformation from the lab to the industrial scale.

In this Special Issue, we aim to share up-to-date strategies in aerogel fabrication, structure control, and large-scale production. We welcome papers discussing not only single-compound but also hybrid aerogels, along with their design and functionality. We believe that the development of aerogels with appropriate or tunable properties will present promising opportunities in various fields.

Dr. Xiao Li
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• functional aerogels
• hybrid aerogels
• 3D porous structure
• physicochemical properties
• large-scale production
• applications

• Recent Advances in Aerogel-Based Composites in Gels (5 articles)