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Gels
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Advances in Silica Xero- and Aerogels: From Synthesis to a...
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Advances in Silica Xero- and Aerogels: From Synthesis to a Structure–Activity Relationship (2nd Edition)

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2025) | Viewed by 2267

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Adél Len

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Neutron Spectroscopy Department, Centre for Energy Research, H-1121 Budapest, Hungary
Interests: small-angle scattering; electron microscopy; nanomaterials; aerogels; xerogels; structural characterization; neutron scattering
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Zoltán Dudás

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Neutron Spectroscopy Department, Centre for Energy Research, H-1121 Budapest, Hungary
Interests: sol–gel synthesis; physicochemical characterization; magnetic properties; optical properties; biological activity; medical applications; controlled drug release; structure–activity relationship
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue on “Advances in Silica Xero- and Aerogels: From Synthesis to a Structure–Activity Relationship (2nd Edition)” is dedicated to the recent developments in silica xero- and aerogels, from fundamental aspects to their synthesis, characterization, and applications.

Different synthesis routes can be applied for the synthesis of silica particles. Notably, the sol–gel technique offers a flexible and versatile approach to synthesize a wide range of nano-/microstructures. This Special Issue has the general aim to present different synthesis approaches, the relations between the synthesis parameters, and the final product properties.

The increasing number of scientific papers on the relationship between silica materials/composites’ structure and activity shows the importance of this topic; therefore, this Special Issue also focuses on silica xero- and aerogels’ chemical composition and textural and morphological characterization at the micro- and nano-scale level. Exhaustive characterization can be achieved using common characterization methods such as FT-IR or Raman spectroscopy, contact angle measurements, thermal analysis, XRD, electron microscopy (SEM and TEM), and porosimetry measurements. The presented methods can be completed very well with special characterizations methods such as small-angle X-ray or neutron scattering and 18O or 29Si solid-state NMR spectroscopy.

We welcome papers about the application of different silica materials and composites in biology, optics, catalysis, medicine, construction, etc.

We sincerely hope that this Special Issue will provide some new insights into the structure–activity relationship of silica materials.

Dr. Adél Len
Dr. Zoltán Dudás
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

  • synthesis of xero- and aerogels
  • sol–gel techniques
  • physicochemical characterizations
  • structure–activity relationship
  • porous structures
  • small-angle scattering
  • electron microscopy
  • applications of silica xerogels and aerogels
  • biological activity
  • catalytic activity
  • magnetic properties
  • optical properties

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 9526 KiB  
Article
Hydrophobic Silica Aerogel with Higher Flame Retardancy, Thermal Radiation Shielding, and High-Temperature Insulation Properties Through Introduction of TiO2
by Huiying Sun, Yuelei Pan, Song He, Lunlun Gong, Zhongxin Zhang, Xudong Cheng and Heping Zhang
Gels 2025, 11(4), 249; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels11040249 - 27 Mar 2025
Viewed by 466
Abstract
SiO2 aerogels have garnered significant attention for thermal insulation applications due to their exceptional hydrophobicity and thermal resistance. However, the organic functional groups enabling hydrophobicity introduce flammability concerns, limiting their safe implementation in high-temperature environments. This study presents a novel TiO2 [...] Read more.
SiO2 aerogels have garnered significant attention for thermal insulation applications due to their exceptional hydrophobicity and thermal resistance. However, the organic functional groups enabling hydrophobicity introduce flammability concerns, limiting their safe implementation in high-temperature environments. This study presents a novel TiO2 doping strategy (SA/TiO2) that simultaneously enhances thermal safety while preserving the material’s intrinsic advantages. The optimized SA/TiO2 composite demonstrates remarkable fire resistance, achieving a 44% reduction in gross calorific value (GCV) and a 25.4% decrease in total heat release (THR) compared to conventional aerogels. Thermogravimetric analysis reveals substantial thermal stability improvements, with TiO2 incorporation elevating the initial and peak decomposition temperatures by 207 °C and 167 °C, respectively. When integrated into fiber-reinforced SiO2 aerogel composites, the 10% TiO2-doped formulation achieves an ultra-low GCV of 2.75 MJ/kg while maintaining superior insulation performance (~18 mW/m·K). Notably, the composite demonstrates exceptional high-temperature stability, retaining minimal thermal conductivity of 25.5 mW/m·K at 600 °C. The titanium dioxide phase effectively attenuates thermal radiation transmission while preserving the matrix’s nanoporous architecture, thereby synergistically enhancing both fire safety and thermal insulation capabilities in demanding operational environments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Silica Xero- and Aerogels: From Synthesis to a Structure–Activity Relationship (2nd Edition))
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15 pages, 3116 KiB  
Article
The Influence of Gold Nanoparticles Addition on Sugarcane Leaves-Derived Silica Xerogel Catalyst for the Production of Biodiesel
by Ncamisile Nondumiso Maseko, Dirk Enke, Pius Adewale Owolawi, Samuel Ayodele Iwarere, Oluwatobi Samuel Oluwafemi and Jonathan Pocock
Gels 2025, 11(3), 153; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels11030153 - 20 Feb 2025
Viewed by 515
Abstract
Biodiesel was produced via transesterification of canola oil in the presence of a silica xerogel catalyst with deposited gold nanoparticles. The silica-gold catalyst was produced in situ, where gold metal was added to a sodium silicate solution; subsequently, gold nanoparticles were synthesised within [...] Read more.
Biodiesel was produced via transesterification of canola oil in the presence of a silica xerogel catalyst with deposited gold nanoparticles. The silica-gold catalyst was produced in situ, where gold metal was added to a sodium silicate solution; subsequently, gold nanoparticles were synthesised within the solution. The sodium silicate-gold nanoparticles solution was then turned into a silica-gold gel at pH 8.7 and later dried to form silica-gold nanoparticles xerogel. The produced silica-gold nanoparticles xerogel was characterised by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), transition electron microscopy (TEM), and nitrogen physisorption. The gel had a silica content of 91.6 wt% and a sodium content of 6.4 wt%, with the added gold content being 99.5% retained. The biodiesel produced in the presence of silica-gold nanoparticles xerogel was characterised by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) and its physical properties, such as density, kinematic viscosity, flash point, pour point, and cloud point, were also determined. The silica-gold nanoparticles xerogel catalyst remained solid throughout its usage without leaching into the reaction medium. The produced biodiesel contained mostly monounsaturated fatty acid methyl esters and had a yield of 99.2% at optimum reaction conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Silica Xero- and Aerogels: From Synthesis to a Structure–Activity Relationship (2nd Edition))
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15 pages, 11039 KiB  
Article
Enhanced Thermal Safety of Hydrophobic SiO2 Aerogels Through Introduction of Layered Double Oxides
by Lei Xu, Guanhua Sun, Jiahui Chen, Xiaoxu Wu, Min Hu, Fang Zhou and Zhi Li
Gels 2024, 10(12), 844; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels10120844 - 20 Dec 2024
Viewed by 608
Abstract
This research enhances the thermal safety of hydrophobic silica aerogel (HSA) by integrating layered double oxides (LDOs). XRD and FTIR confirm that the introduction of LDOs does not affect the formation of SA. The LDO/SA composites demonstrate a low density (0.14–0.16 g/cm3 [...] Read more.
This research enhances the thermal safety of hydrophobic silica aerogel (HSA) by integrating layered double oxides (LDOs). XRD and FTIR confirm that the introduction of LDOs does not affect the formation of SA. The LDO/SA composites demonstrate a low density (0.14–0.16 g/cm3), low thermal conductivity (23.28–28.72 mW/(m·K)), high porosity (93.4–96.1%), and a high surface area (899.2–1006.4 m2/g). The TG-DSC results reveal that LDO/SA shows enhanced thermal stability, with increases of 49 °C in the decomposition onset temperature and 47.4 °C in the peak decomposition temperature. The gross calorific value of LDO/SA-15% (with 15 wt% LDO) exhibits a 23.9% reduction in comparison to that of pure SA. The decrease in gross calorific value, along with improved thermal stability, indicates a boost in the thermal safety characteristics of the LDO/SA composites. This study demonstrates that incorporating LDOs enhances the thermal safety of HSA, while preserving its superior performance, thus broadening its potential applications in thermal insulation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Silica Xero- and Aerogels: From Synthesis to a Structure–Activity Relationship (2nd Edition))
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