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
Polymer Aerogels and Aerogel Composites
share announcement

Polymer Aerogels and Aerogel Composites

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2025 | Viewed by 1436

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Haiquan Guo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Universities Space Research Association, NASA Glenn Research Center, 21000 Brookpark Road, Cleveland, OH 44135, USA
Interests: material science; aerogels; polymers; ceramics; metals; biodegradable materials; nanotechnology
Dr. Baochau N. Nguyen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Universities Space Research Association, NASA Glenn Research Center, 21000 Brookpark Road, Cleveland, OH 44135, USA
Interests: material science; high-temperature polymers; polymer aerogels; exfoliation and surface modification of boron nitride; nanotechnology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue of Gels, entitled “Polymer Aerogels and Aerogel Composites”, is dedicated to the development of polymer aerogels with enhanced properties for various applications. This Special Issue is particularly interested in characterization techniques that enable the structure-to-property relationship of polymer aerogels to be better understood, in addition to different synthetic routes, novel chemistries, and processing methods for large-scale production and cost reduction. Polymers can be organic or inorganic polymers.

The scope of this Special Issue includes but is not limited to the following topics:

  • Novel polymer aerogels including new types of polymer aerogels, polymer aerogels with tunable physical and mechanical properties, green polymer aerogels, etc.;
  • Polymer aerogels with enhanced properties, i.e., mechanical properties, rigidity or flexibility, hydrophobicity, thermal insulation, dielectric constant, and optical performance;
  • Surface modification of polymer aerogels;
  • Modeling and simulations involving polymer aerogel synthesis and properties;
  • Incorporation of nanoparticles or nanomaterials within polymer aerogels;
  • Polymer aerogel particles;
  • Novel characterization methods such as the nondestructive method;
  • Process development and cost reduction in polymer aerogels;
  • Application of polymer aerogels, polymer aerogel composites, and polymer aerogel particles.

Dr. Haiquan Guo
Dr. Baochau N. Nguyen
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
  • novel polymer aerogels
  • aerogel composites
  • structure-to-property relationship
  • characterization
  • applications

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 (3 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

14 pages, 3526 KiB  
Article
Three-Dimensional Printing and Supercritical Technologies for the Fabrication of Intricately Structured Aerogels Derived from the Alginate–Chitosan Polyelectrolyte Complex
by Natalia Menshutina, Andrey Abramov, Eldar Golubev and Pavel Tsygankov
Gels 2025, 11(7), 477; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels11070477 - 20 Jun 2025
Viewed by 202
Abstract
Patient-specific scaffolds for tissue and organ regeneration are still limited by the difficulty of simultaneously shaping complex geometries, preserving hierarchical porosity, and guaranteeing sterility. Additive technologies represent a promising approach for addressing problems in tissue engineering, with the potential to develop personalized matrices [...] Read more.
Patient-specific scaffolds for tissue and organ regeneration are still limited by the difficulty of simultaneously shaping complex geometries, preserving hierarchical porosity, and guaranteeing sterility. Additive technologies represent a promising approach for addressing problems in tissue engineering, with the potential to develop personalized matrices for the growth of tissue and organ cells. The utilization of supercritical technologies, encompassing the processes of drying and sterilization within a supercritical fluid environment, has demonstrated significant opportunities for obtaining highly effective matrices for cell growth based on biocompatible materials. We present a comprehensive methodology for fabricating intricately structured, sterile aerogels based on alginate–chitosan polyelectrolyte complexes. The target three-dimensional macrostructure is achieved through (i) direct ink writing or (ii) heterophase printing, enabling the deposition of inks with diverse rheological profiles (viscosities ranging from 0.8 to 2500 Pa·s). A coupled supercritical carbon dioxide drying–sterilization regimen at 120 bar and 40 °C is employed to preserve the highly porous architecture of the printed constructs. The resulting aerogels exhibit 96 ± 2% porosity, a BET surface area of 108–238 m2 g−1, and complete sterility. The proposed integration of 3D printing and supercritical processing yields sterile, intricately structured aerogels with substantial potential for the fabrication of patient-specific scaffolds for tissue and organ regeneration. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Aerogels and Aerogel Composites)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

12 pages, 2793 KiB  
Article
Varying Synthesis Parameters of Potato Starch Aerogel for Aerospace Applications
by Jacob Staker, Daniel A. Scheiman, Janice Mather, Jamesa L. Stokes and Haiquan Guo
Gels 2025, 11(6), 467; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels11060467 - 18 Jun 2025
Viewed by 161
Abstract
Aerogels have the potential for usage in many daily and high-tech aerospace applications. Silica aerogels are fragile, while organic aerogels are much tougher, but they are both generally synthesized using toxic solvents. Biodegradable aerogels, if they possess similar properties as polymer aerogels, could [...] Read more.
Aerogels have the potential for usage in many daily and high-tech aerospace applications. Silica aerogels are fragile, while organic aerogels are much tougher, but they are both generally synthesized using toxic solvents. Biodegradable aerogels, if they possess similar properties as polymer aerogels, could be widely utilized in many aerospace applications and offer environmental benefits. In this work, potato starch aerogels were systematically studied. The potato starch concentration, the amount of plasticizer (glycerol), and an acid source (acetic acid) were varied. The relationship of the precursors on potato starch aerogel’s properties, such as density, shrinkage, porosity, BET surface area, mechanical properties, and thermal conductivities, were researched. The resulting potato starch aerogels possess suitable density, Young’s modulus, and thermal conductivity for use in many aerospace applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Aerogels and Aerogel Composites)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

18 pages, 2086 KiB  
Article
Removal of Mercury from Aqueous Environments Using Polyurea-Crosslinked Calcium Alginate Aerogels
by Evangelia Sigala, Artemisia Zoi, Grigorios Raptopoulos, Elias Sakellis, Aikaterini Sakellari, Sotirios Karavoltsos and Patrina Paraskevopoulou
Gels 2025, 11(6), 437; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels11060437 - 6 Jun 2025
Viewed by 805
Abstract
The removal of mercury(II) from aquatic environments using polyurea-crosslinked calcium alginate (X-alginate) aerogels was investigated through batch-type experiments, focusing on low mercury concentrations (50–180 μg·L−1), similar to those found in actual contaminated environments. Within this concentration range, the metal retention was [...] Read more.
The removal of mercury(II) from aquatic environments using polyurea-crosslinked calcium alginate (X-alginate) aerogels was investigated through batch-type experiments, focusing on low mercury concentrations (50–180 μg·L−1), similar to those found in actual contaminated environments. Within this concentration range, the metal retention was very high, ranging from 85% to quantitative (adsorbent dosage: 0.6 g L−1). The adsorption process followed the Langmuir isotherm model with a sorption capacity of 4.4 mmol kg−1 (883 mg kg−1) at pH 3.3. Post-adsorption analysis with EDS confirmed the presence of mercury in the adsorbent and the replacement of calcium in the aerogel matrix. Additionally, coordination/interaction with other functional groups on the adsorbent surface may occur. The adsorption kinetics were best described by the pseudo-first-order model, indicating a diffusion-controlled mechanism and relatively weak interactions. The adsorbent was regenerated via washing with a Na2EDTA solution and reused at least three times without substantial loss of sorption capacity. Furthermore, X-alginate aerogels were tested for mercury removal from an industrial wastewater sample (pH 7.75) containing 61 μg·L−1 mercury (and competing ions), achieving 71% metal retention. These findings, along with the stability of X-alginate aerogels in natural waters and wastewaters, highlight their potential for sustainable mercury removal applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Aerogels and Aerogel Composites)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-3
Back to TopTop