Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
7.6
5.3
Journals
Gels
Special Issues
Silica Aerogel: Synthesis, Properties and Characterization
share announcement

Silica Aerogel: Synthesis, Properties and Characterization

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2025 | Viewed by 1254

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Dongmei Huang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Energy Environment and Safety Engineering, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018, China
Interests: silica aerogels; combustion behavior; high performance insulation materials; fire protection; safety management
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Silica aerogel is a highly porous and lightweight material known for its exceptional thermal insulation and unique properties. The synthesis of silica aerogel typically involves sol-gel techniques, where silica particles are formed in a liquid solution and subsequently transformed into a gel state. This gel undergoes supercritical drying to remove the liquid component without collapsing the structure, resulting in an aerogel.

The properties of silica aerogel include low density, high specific surface area, and low thermal conductivity, making it an ideal candidate for various applications, ranging from insulation in buildings and aerospace to drug delivery systems and environmental remediation. The characterization of silica aerogel involves various techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms, which help in understanding its microstructure and porosity.

Overall, silica aerogel is a versatile material that is continuously being explored for innovative uses in numerous fields due to its unique combination of properties and performance characteristics. As research progresses, advancements in synthesis methods and material formulations are likely to enhance its applicability and functionality in real-world applications. I am thrilled to invite you, as renowned experts in the field, to contribute to this Special Issue and the development of the scientific study of silica aerogel.

Prof. Dr. Dongmei Huang
Guest Editor

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

  • silica aerogel
  • highly porous and lightweight material
  • sol-gel techniques
  • buildings and aerospace
  • drug delivery systems
  • environmental remediation

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

22 pages, 8987 KiB  
Article
Microfluidic Synthesis of Magnetic Silica Aerogels for Efficient Pesticide Removal from Water
by Dana-Ionela Tudorache (Trifa), Adelina-Gabriela Niculescu, Alexandra-Cătălina Bîrcă, Denisa Alexandra Florea, Marius Rădulescu, Bogdan-Ștefan Vasile, Roxana Trușcă, Dan-Eduard Mihaiescu, Tony Hadibarata and Alexandru-Mihai Grumezescu
Gels 2025, 11(6), 463; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels11060463 - 17 Jun 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 612
Abstract
Aerogels have gained much interest in the last decades due to their specific properties, such as high porosity, high surface area, and low density, which have caused them to be used in multiple and varied fields. As the applicability of aerogels is tightly [...] Read more.
Aerogels have gained much interest in the last decades due to their specific properties, such as high porosity, high surface area, and low density, which have caused them to be used in multiple and varied fields. As the applicability of aerogels is tightly correlated to their morpho-structural features, special consideration must be allocated to the fabrication method. An emerging technique for producing nanostructured materials with tailored morphology and dimensions is represented by continuous-flow microfluidics. In this context, this work explores the synergic combination of aerogel-based materials with microfluidic synthesis platforms to generate advanced nanocomposite adsorbents for water decontamination. Specifically, this study presents the novel synthesis of a magnetic silica-based aerogel using a custom-designed 3D microfluidic platform, offering enhanced control over nanoparticle incorporation and gelation compared to conventional sol–gel techniques. The resulting gel was further dried via supercritical CO2 extraction to preserve its unique nanostructure. The multi-faceted physicochemical investigations (XRD, DLS, FT-IR, RAMAN, SEM, and TEM) confirmed the material’s uniform morphology, high porosity, and surface functionalization. The HR-MS FT-ICR analysis has also demonstrated the advanced material’s adsorption capacity for various pesticides, suggesting its adequacy for further environmental applications. An exceptional 93.7% extraction efficiency was registered for triazophos, underscoring the potential of microfluidic synthesis approaches in engineering advanced, eco-friendly adsorbent materials for water decontamination of relevant organic pollutants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Silica Aerogel: Synthesis, Properties and Characterization)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 3844 KiB  
Article
Ambient-Dried Silica Xerogels with Enhanced Strength and Thermal Insulation via Calcium Ion-Glycerol Synergistic Crosslinking
by Xiaoyu Xie, Zilin Zhu, Yu Meng, Lijia Wang, Fuquan Zhao, Lingqing Chen, Lijie Jiang, Ming Yan and Xiaofan Zhou
Gels 2025, 11(6), 462; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels11060462 - 16 Jun 2025
Viewed by 398
Abstract
Despite their high porosity and wide applicability, silica xerogels face mechanical strength limitations for high-performance applications. This study presents an ambient-pressure sol-gel strategy utilizing calcium-glycerol synergy to produce robust xerogels with enhanced properties. Physicochemical analyses reveal that controlled Ca2+ incorporation (optimal at [...] Read more.
Despite their high porosity and wide applicability, silica xerogels face mechanical strength limitations for high-performance applications. This study presents an ambient-pressure sol-gel strategy utilizing calcium-glycerol synergy to produce robust xerogels with enhanced properties. Physicochemical analyses reveal that controlled Ca2+ incorporation (optimal at 6 wt.%) accelerates gelation kinetics while establishing a hybrid network through ionic complexation and hydrogen bonding. The resulting xerogels achieve exceptional compressive strength (30.8 MPa) while maintaining uniform mesoporosity (50–90 nm pore size). Remarkably, the as-prepared silica xerogels demonstrate outstanding thermal insulation, maintaining a 220 °C temperature differential in 300 °C environments. These results prove that the ambient-pressure sol-gel strategy utilizing calcium-glycerol synergy can enhance the mechanical performance and thermal insulation performance of silica xerogels with the dual actions of Ca2+-induced network reinforcement via silanol coordination and glycerol-mediated stress relief during ambient drying. Overall, this work can offer a scalable, energy-efficient approach to produce high-performance silica xerogels with huge potential in building envelopes and aerospace systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Silica Aerogel: Synthesis, Properties and Characterization)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-2
Back to TopTop