Advanced Metal Gels: Synthesis and Applications

Dear Colleagues,

With the attributes of abundant compositions and modulable electronic properties, metals have been widely used since ancient times. The amazing properties unlocked through nanotechnology further stimulate the deep investigation of metals. However, it was not until this century that metal gels—gels entirely structured from nanosized metals—were created. This discovery enables macroscopic metal gels to display unique properties enhanced by nano-effects, greatly broadening the fundamental and industrial investigation of metals.

In the past 15 years, metal gels have been widely studied, from their controlled synthesis to their practical applications. Featuring customizable building blocks, an interconnected porous structure, and unique optical and mechanical properties, wet metal gels and aerogels have been designed for diverse use such as catalysis, sensing, actuators, substrates for surface-enhanced Raman scattering, and so forth. Their enhanced performance and multivarious functions are further expanded by combining metal gels with other exotic materials, such as commercial foams.

Nevertheless, as a class of emerging materials, metal gels remain underdeveloped. Arbitrary material control is still challenging, and killer applications for both metal aerogels and wet gels have yet to be discovered. Hence, this Special Issue expects to collect both original research and reviews that reflect recent advances (experimental and theoretical) or provide new perspectives in terms of developing the synthesis and applications of metal-based aerogels and wet gels. Submissions are welcome (but not limited) areas such as:

• The design and synthesis of metal aerogels or wet gels;
• The design and synthesis of metal gel-based porous composites;
• Theoretical prediction and simulation of the formation process of metal gel-based materials;
• Applying metal gels in various applications.

Prof. Dr. Yue Hu
Prof. Dr. Ran Du
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 2600 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.

• aerogels
• gels
• metal aerogels
• porous materials
• nanostructures
• catalysis
• sensing
• actuators
• smart materials