Aerogels: Promising Materials for Environmental Applications

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 569

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, 162 00 Prague, Czech Republic
Interests: conducting polymers; cryogels; aerogels; adsorption; photocatalysis; water treatment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Nanomaterials Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba 305-8565, Japan
Interests: fabrication, characterization, application of materials for energy and environment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Aerogels are a class of nanostructured porous materials that have attracted great attention among different porous materials due to their unique properties, including high porosity, large surface area, low density, thermal and mechanical stability, and tunable surface chemistry. Functionalized aerogels were found to be useful in the fields of adsorption, catalysis, sensing, energy storage, conversion devices, etc. The use of aerogels in environmental applications has shown exponential growth due to their high capacity, durability, and longevity. Aerogels can capture and store volatile organic compounds, carbon dioxide, and other air pollutants, helping to improve air quality. In addition, aerogels can effectively immobilize radioactive waste and remove contaminants from water, including heavy metals, oils, and pesticides.

This Special Issue is dedicated to highlighting advances in aerogel technology and the use of functionalized aerogels with improved mechanical properties, which are cost-effective for environmental applications. The topics of interest for this Special Issue include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Synthesis of functionalized aerogels based on biopolymers, synthetic, and natural materials from inorganic, organic, and hybrid aerogels, which are prepared with unique properties and functionalities.
  • Physicochemical characterization of novel aerogels.
  • Application in wastewater treatment (adsorption, photocatalysis, and electrocatalysis), gas detection, and capture.

We look forward to the submission of full papers, communications, and reviews.

Dr. Islam Minisy
Dr. Durga Parajuli
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

  • aerogels
  • bio-based aerogels
  • environmental applications
  • adsorption
  • wastewater
  • decontamination
  • heavy metals
  • rare and precious metals
  • pharmaceuticals
  • personal care products
  • persistent organic pollutants
  • CO2 sequestration
  • photocatalysis

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 (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Review

19 pages, 1355 KiB  
Review
Recent Advances in the Utilization of Cellulose from Food Processing Byproducts for the Generation of Aerogels
by Jaspreet Kaur and Ali Ubeyitogullari
Gels 2025, 11(5), 359; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels11050359 - 14 May 2025
Viewed by 305
Abstract
Aerogels have garnered significant attention from the scientific community due to their extraordinary properties, including low density, high porosity, low thermal conductivity, and large surface area. These properties make them interesting candidates for diverse applications such as thermal insulation, drug delivery, catalysis, fillers, [...] Read more.
Aerogels have garnered significant attention from the scientific community due to their extraordinary properties, including low density, high porosity, low thermal conductivity, and large surface area. These properties make them interesting candidates for diverse applications such as thermal insulation, drug delivery, catalysis, fillers, tissue engineering, and biosensors. However, the production of conventional aerogels is often constrained by environmental issues, the high cost of raw materials, and energy-intensive fabrication methods. In contrast, cellulose aerogels have emerged as promising sustainable materials with the potential to transform various low-cost waste products into high-value biomaterials. Food-processing byproducts provide numerous untapped opportunities for the generation of aerogels. This review highlights the recent advancements in the development of cellulose aerogels derived from food processing byproducts, emphasizing their role in contributing to the circular bioeconomy. Specifically, this study focuses on the fabrication processes of cellulose aerogels from food processing byproducts, which would otherwise go to waste. The review discusses the extraction, gel formation, drying, and functionalization processes for cellulose aerogel formation, along with the environmental and economic benefits of utilizing these waste streams. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aerogels: Promising Materials for Environmental Applications)
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Back to TopTop