Aerogels for Extreme Environments: Unveiling the Resilience of Ultralight Materials
A special issue of Gels (ISSN 2310-2861). This special issue belongs to the section "Gel Chemistry and Physics".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 December 2026 | Viewed by 37
Special Issue Editors
Interests: aerogels; thermal insulation; hydrophobic materials; porous polymers; photocatalysis; energy storage and conversion
Interests: structural health monitoring; ultrasound; nonlinear acoustics; carbon nanotubes and graphene; energy harvesting; piezoelectric transducers; thermal wave imaging; phased arrays; membrane gels
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Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Aerogels represent a unique class of ultralight, highly porous materials that combine exceptional thermal, mechanical, and chemical properties. Their extraordinary attributes position them as promising candidates for use in extreme environments, where conventional materials often fail. This Special Issue aims to bring together cutting-edge research that explores the resilience, adaptability, and multifunctionality of advanced aerogels engineered for harsh operating conditions—including extreme temperatures, high pressures, thermal shock, radiation exposure, corrosive atmospheres, and mechanically demanding applications.
We invite contributions that advance the understanding of structure–property relationships, novel fabrication routes, and performance optimization of aerogels based on inorganic, organic, carbon, hybrid, and composite systems. Topics of interest include thermal protection materials, aerospace insulation, space exploration components, deep-sea and cryogenic technologies, high-temperature catalysis, radiation shielding, impact-resistant aerogels, and chemically robust porous networks. Studies incorporating computational modeling, in situ characterization, and application-driven testing are particularly welcome.
By highlighting emerging strategies to enhance durability, flexibility, and functionality, this Special Issue aims to accelerate the development of next-generation aerogels capable of operating reliably in the world’s most demanding environments. Ultimately, this collection will serve as a comprehensive reference for researchers working at the interface of materials science, engineering, energy, and sustainability.
Dr. Vinayak G. Parale
Prof. Dr. Michele Meo
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
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
- aerogels
- ultralight materials
- extreme environment
- thermal stability
- high-temperature insulation
- cryogenic applications
- mechanical resilience
- pressure-tolerant porous materials
- flame-retardant aerogels
- defense and space applications
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