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Gels
Special Issues
Aerogels: Synthesis and Applications
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Aerogels: Synthesis and Applications

A special issue of Gels (ISSN 2310-2861). This special issue belongs to the section "Gel Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 August 2025 | Viewed by 3316

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Song He

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Safety Science and Emergency Management, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China
Interests: aerogel; preparation & application; thermal insulation; adsorption; porous materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Zhi Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Resource and Safety Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
Interests: silica aerogels; aerogel composites; thermal insulation; thermal hazards; thermal analysis; impact resistance; personal safety protection
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Yuelei Pan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Fire Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
Interests: thermal conductivity; composites; porous materials; sol–gel methods; nanomaterials; aerogels
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Yajun Huang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Emergency Management, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China
Interests: solid combustible fire; preparation of aerogel insulation materials

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Replacing the solvent or water in gels with a gas can yield aerogels with low density, large specific surface area, and three-dimensional porous structure, which are attractive and show great application potentials in thermal insulation, harmful gas adsorption, noise reduction, catalyst loading and other fields. Due to the abundant pore structure (generally more than 90% porosity), the mechanical properties of aerogels are relatively poor and hinder their large-scale application. Therefore, determining how to improve the mechanical properties of aerogels and further explore their application remain as challenges. In order to solve the above problems, a large number of constructive preparation methods have been proposed, such as organic–inorganic composites, surface chemical modification, microstructure control, etc., now representing a rich collection of research findings. However, the scope of a single preparation method is limited, and the adaptabilities of various aerogels are different. Therefore, it is necessary to further propose new preparation methods for mechanical enhancement and new applications to promote the development of aerogels.

This Special Issue focuses on recent research and advances in aerogels, such as inorganic oxide aerogels, carbon aerogels, graphene aerogels, polyimide aerogels, nanocellulose aerogels, carbide aerogels, metal aerogels, etc. Additionally, we welcome contributions regarding the application and structural analysis of aerogels, as well as their modeling and simulation.

Dr. Song He
Dr. Zhi Li
Dr. Yuelei Pan
Dr. Yajun Huang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Gels is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2100 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.

Keywords

  • aerogel
  • preparation and application
  • modeling
  • simulation

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 2648 KiB  
Article
Reproducible Superinsulation Materials: Organosilica-Based Hybrid Aerogels with Flexibility Control
by Marvin Geyer, Felix Leven, Johannes Limberg, Corina Andronescu and Rainer Ostermann
Gels 2024, 10(11), 692; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels10110692 - 25 Oct 2024
Viewed by 517
Abstract
In this study, we report highly crosslinked hybrid aerogels with an organic backbone based on vinylmethyldimethoxysilane (VMDMS) with tuneable properties. For an improved and highly reproducible synthesis, a prepolymer based on 2,4,6,8-tetramethyl-2,4,6,8-tetravinylcyclotetrasiloxane (D4V4) and VMDMS as monomers was prepared [...] Read more.
In this study, we report highly crosslinked hybrid aerogels with an organic backbone based on vinylmethyldimethoxysilane (VMDMS) with tuneable properties. For an improved and highly reproducible synthesis, a prepolymer based on 2,4,6,8-tetramethyl-2,4,6,8-tetravinylcyclotetrasiloxane (D4V4) and VMDMS as monomers was prepared and purified. Di-tert-butylperoxide (DTBP) concentrations of 1 mol% initiate the radical polymerization of the mentioned monomers to achieve high yields of polymers. After purification, the obtained viscous polyorganosilane precursor could be reproducibly crosslinked with dimethyldimethoxysilane (DMDMS) or methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS) to form gels in benzylic alcohol (BzOH), water (H2O) and tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAOH). Whereas freeze-drying these silica-based hybrid aerogels led to high thermal conductivity (>20 mW m−1K−1) and very fragile materials, useful aerogels were obtained via solvent exchange and supercritical drying with CO2. The DMDMS-based aerogels exhibit enhanced compressibility (31% at 7 kPa) and low thermal conductivity (16.5 mW m−1K−1) with densities around (0.111 g cm−3). The use of MTMS results in aerogels with lower compressibility (21% at 7 kPa) and higher density (0.124 g cm−3) but excellent insulating properties (14.8 mW m−1K−1). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aerogels: Synthesis and Applications)
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15 pages, 6814 KiB  
Article
Ultrasensitive and Self-Powered Multiparameter Pressure–Temperature–Humidity Sensor Based on Ultra-Flexible Conductive Silica Aerogel
by Song He, Chunhua Du, Hongliang Sheng, Chunxiang He, Xinyu Liu, Xin Jin, Qilin Chen and Fuliang Tian
Gels 2023, 9(2), 162; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels9020162 - 17 Feb 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1968
Abstract
The application of silica aerogel has been limited because of its poor mechanical properties. In order to expand the application scope of silica aerogel, this study fabricated an ultra-flexible conductive silica aerogel as a multiparameter sensor. The sample is fabricated by introducing poly [...] Read more.
The application of silica aerogel has been limited because of its poor mechanical properties. In order to expand the application scope of silica aerogel, this study fabricated an ultra-flexible conductive silica aerogel as a multiparameter sensor. The sample is fabricated by introducing poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) on a base of ultra-flexible silica aerogel, which was prepared by a diene synthesis reaction at atmospheric pressure. The pressure, temperature, and humidity can be converted into electrical signals. The pressure sensitivity can reach up to 54.88 kPa−1, and the detection limit is as low as 5 Pa. The temperature resolution is up to 0.1 K, and the response time of humidity is within 4 s. More importantly, the developed multiparameter sensor can be self-powered to realize multiparameter sensing of pressure, temperature, and humidity. The ultra-flexible conductive silica aerogel is a promising candidate for monitoring human activities and fire-affected areas. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aerogels: Synthesis and Applications)
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