Sol-Gel Materials for Sustainable Application
A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Soft Matter".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 July 2023) | Viewed by 5155
Special Issue Editor
Interests: sol–gel glass ceramics doped with rare-earths for photonics; fluorescence-based thermometry; synthesis, structure and properties of luminescent glasses
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The sol–gel process is a versatile chemical synthesis used in the preparation of materials, especially oxide compounds and non-crystalline solids, at low temperatures. In addition to its ability to synthesize, sol–gel chemistry employs a variety of physical and chemical parameters that allow the creation of materials with different architectures, for example, highly dense or porous materials, of simple or complex composition in various shapes: monoliths, fibers, coatings and (nano)powders. Growing concern with the environment and with the legacy left to future generations has changed the way the world in recent times. Innovative eco-based materials are a response to the growing global demand for green industries, sustainable energy savings, reductions in CO2 emissions and circular economy. The sol–gel process therefore requires sustainable solutions to face these great challenges and currently plays a crucial role in the development of new generations of advanced materials not easily obtained by other approaches. These advances are expected to accelerate the launch of sustainable, effective and environmentally benign materials on the market, which can be widely used in diverse applications (e.g., biomedical, medicine, energy and environment, sensors, optics, photonics, optoelectronics, electronic, magnetic, corrosion protection, energy, information technology, catalysis and photocatalysis, etc.). Recyclability and degradation from a circular economy perspective are also goals that need to be achieved.
In this Special Issue, from an ecological and sustainable perspective, we focus on sol–gel materials for sustainable application, exploring the advances in the field of sol–gel materials/nanomaterials, inorganics, hybrids and polymers, from synthesis to applications.
Topics include, but are not limited to:
- Sol–gel process (chemistry and fundamentals, precursors, tailored modifications, etc.);
- Thin-films and coatings;
- Hybrid materials;
- Surfaces and interfaces;
- Nanomaterials (nanocoatings, nanoparticles, nanostructures);
- Composites;
- Porous materials;
- Surface functionalization.
Dr. Helena Vasconcelos
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- sol–gel materials
- sustainability
- circular economy
- environment
- green synthesis
- recyclability and degradation
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