Article
Chemistry, Physical
Silvan Gantenbein, Emanuele Colucci, Julian Kaech, Etienne Trachsel, Fergal B. Coulter, Patrick A. Ruehs, Kunal Masania, Andre R. Studart
Summary: Living materials found in biology, such as animal bones and plant stems, possess unique properties of self-healing, regeneration, and adaptation. In this study, a 3D printing approach is used to exploit the emerging properties of fungal mycelia for creating living complex materials that can self-repair, regenerate, and adapt to the environment. By printing hydrogels infused with Ganoderma lucidum fungus, a mechanically robust and self-cleaning robotic skin is successfully produced, demonstrating the potential of mycelium-based living complex materials.
Review
Polymer Science
Alejandra Romero-Montero, Jose Luis Valencia-Bermudez, Samuel A. Rosas-Melendez, Israel Nunez-Tapia, Maria Cristina Pina-Barba, Gerardo Leyva-Gomez, Maria Luisa Del Prado-Audelo
Summary: The increment in water pollution due to industrial development is a global concern. Aerogels, specifically polymer-based aerogels, show promising potential in water remediation due to their high porosity and adsorption capacity. Natural biopolymeric aerogels, such as cellulose, chitosan, and alginate, have been proven effective in removing pollutants like dyes, oil, and pharmaceuticals from water.
Review
Polymer Science
Maurizio Marrale, Francesco d'Errico
Summary: Radiation-sensitive gels are a recent and promising development for RT dosimetry, offering tissue-equivalent and continuous 3D dose measurements. Their response is largely independent of radiation quality and dose rate, making them suitable for quality assessment of RT systems.
Review
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Dongwei Xu, Yumei Ren, Xiaoqin Guo, Biao Zhao
Summary: Graphene aerogels (GAs) are three-dimensional materials with a complex porous network structure, which can solve the problem of graphene sheet layer agglomeration and impedance mismatch. By combining magnetic materials with GAs, an ultrawide-band electromagnetic response can be achieved, leading to improved microwave absorption performances.
ACS APPLIED NANO MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Guocan Jiang, Jin Wang, Nuoya Li, Rene Huebner, Maximilian Georgi, Bin Cai, Zhengquan Li, Vladimir Lesnyak, Nikolai Gaponik, Alexander Eychmueller
Summary: The combination of two-dimensional and hexagonal semiconductor quantum dots with aerogels shows great potential for photocatalytic applications. However, traditional gelation methods have limitations due to oxidative treatments of quantum dots, which hinder their activity. In this study, a facile strategy using H2O as a dispersion solvent is presented to fabricate efficient quantum dot aerogels, providing a platform for designing advanced aerogel-based photocatalysts.
CHEMISTRY OF MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Estefania Baigorria, Leonardo F. Fraceto
Summary: This study develops nanocomposite biopolymeric hydrogels of chitosan and clay and examines their biosorption capacity of the pesticide paraquat from water. The results show that the nanocomposite hydrogels have a high adsorption capacity, and the presence of clay is crucial for the adsorption process. These low-cost and sustainable nanocomposite hydrogels have promising applications in pollutant-free water purification.
JOURNAL OF WATER PROCESS ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Patrina Paraskevopoulou, Grigorios Raptopoulos, Faidra Leontaridou, Maria Papastergiou, Aikaterini Sakellari, Sotirios Karavoltsos
Summary: X-Ca-alginate aerogel beads are hydrophobic nanoporous materials with high porosity and BET surface area, capable of adsorbing metal ions, organic solvents, and oils with high selectivity. They can be reused multiple times without significant loss of activity, and have a rapid absorption rate for organic pollutants in aquatic environments.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Satoru Takeshita, Shanyu Zhao, Wim J. Malfait, Matthias M. Koebel
Summary: Chitosan, derived from food waste, is a biopolymer with high biocompatibility and easy chemical processability. Porous chitosan materials vary widely in properties, from supercritically dried mesoporous chitosan aerogels to very light freeze-dried macroporous scaffolds. Despite impressive performance at the laboratory scale, the highly porous nature of chitosan amplifies both its beneficial functionality and drawbacks, posing serious barriers to industrialization.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xiaoyan Zhang, Youfei Zhang, Ya-Nan Qu, Jia-Min Wu, Shengen Zhang, Jinlong Yang
Summary: This study proposed a novel method to fabricate porous aerogels with a highly porous structure, excellent mechanical stability, thermal insulation, and absorption capacity by utilizing polymer sponge as a template attached with reactive particles and carbothermal reduction process to realize nanowire growth.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Mattia Usuelli, Till Germerdonk, Yiping Cao, Mohammad Peydayesh, Massimo Bagnani, Stephan Handschin, Gustav Nystrom, Raffaele Mezzenga
Summary: A simple and sustainable approach is presented in this work to reinforce amyloid fibril hydrogels and aerogels by diffusing polysaccharides inside, resulting in materials with enhanced resistance to compression without compromising the exquisite surface reactivity of amyloid fibrils. This proposed method can lead to the design of composite materials that are both highly functional and environmentally friendly.
Article
Polymer Science
Luis M. Araque, Claudio J. Perez, Antonia Infantes-Molina, Enrique Rodriguez-Castellon, Guillermo J. Copello, Juan M. Lazaro-Martinez
Summary: Two responsive PEI hydrogels (P1.5E and P2E) with different cross-linking degrees were synthesized using a click reaction and without organic solvents. The hydrogel's swelling and rheological behavior were dependent on the cross-linking degree, and the hydrogels showed stimuli-responsive behavior to pH or ionic strength changes. The hydrogels also exhibited adsorption capacity for methyl orange (MO) dye and Cu2+ ions, with P1.5E showing higher sorption capacities. Germination experiments with lettuce seeds confirmed that the hydrogels did not release toxic molecules.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE
(2023)
Review
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Peiyan Shen, Yuqi Zhang, Zhongyu Cai, Ruixiang Liu, Xiaoying Xu, Ran Li, Ji-Jiang Wang, De'an Yang
Summary: PCHs, consisting of PCs and stimuli-responsive hydrogels, act as a sensing system for specific analytes by undergoing volume phase transitions upon exposure to external stimuli. The VPT of the hydrogel causes changes in the photonic stopband of the PCs, leading to shifts in Bragg diffraction peak wavelengths. This sensing mechanism allows for the development of various PCH sensors capable of detecting external stimuli.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY C
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Jing Li, Yanfei Li, Wen Song, Xuguang Li, Liyuan Yang, Liangguo Yan
Summary: In this study, a three-dimensional bilayer aerogel made of cellulose nanofiber, polyvinyl alcohol phosphate ester, and carbon nanotubes was fabricated. The aerogel exhibited fast evaporation and high water production efficiency under sunlight, making it promising for solar desalination and water treatment.
JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Physical
Chang Liu, Zhizheng Li, Bing Li, Huacheng Zhang, Jie Han
Summary: Montmorillonite (MMT) aerogels, with their excellent physicochemical properties, have become a new class of functional aerogels. However, their limited mechanical properties and adsorption capacity have hindered their application in environmental remediation. Several strategies, including hybridization with different materials, have been proposed to enhance the properties and applications of MMT aerogels.
APPLIED CLAY SCIENCE
(2023)
Review
Materials Science, Ceramics
S. S. Sonu, Nisha Rai, Indu Chauhan
Summary: Aerogels are lightweight solid materials with excellent properties, but their usage is limited due to high cost and complicated preparation method. Aerogels can enhance certain properties when prepared as composites. This review classifies aerogels based on appearance, preparation and drying methods, microstructures, and chemical origin. It also discusses organic aerogels from various biological sources and their applications in biomedical research, packaging, environmental remediation, and thermal insulation.
JOURNAL OF SOL-GEL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Electrochemistry
Ying Wang, Ran Du, Jinjie Qian, Yue Hu
Summary: Hierarchically ultra-fine CoP attached to CuO nanowire flowers (CuO NWF-CoP/CF) catalysts were obtained by a simple electrodeposition method, showing outstanding oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity in alkaline media. This work provides a novel method for preparing hierarchical self-supported electrocatalysts for efficient water splitting.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Lin Zhou, Yunyi Peng, Na Zhang, Ran Du, Rene Huebner, Xinglin Wen, Dehui Li, Yue Hu, Alexander Eychmueller
Summary: The study introduces self-supported gold aerogels as 3D SERS substrates with tunable ligament sizes, demonstrating significantly larger enhancement factors compared to traditional 2D substrates. The optimized gold aerogel showcases outstanding reusability and misfocus tolerance in multiplex detection, potentially expanding the application scope of metal aerogels.
ADVANCED OPTICAL MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jinpei Wang, Jin Wang, Zhizhi Sheng, Ran Du, Lifeng Yan, Xuetong Zhang
Summary: A unique solid-liquid-vapor triphase gel, named as aerohydrogel, has been successfully demonstrated, displaying excellent properties including tunable density, considerable hydrophobicity, and excellent elasticity. This aerohydrogel not only shows higher evaporative cooling efficiency than hydrogel counterpart, but also better cooling capability than commercial phase change cooling film, showing promising performance in cooling various devices. The resulting aerohydrogel could be facilely tailored with specific properties for emerging applications such as solar steam generation.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yinke Liu, Rui Li, Haowei Yang, Jiangfeng Song, Jun Hu, Chengkai Yang, Zhe Zheng
Summary: Modifying titanium dioxide with graphdiyne expands the absorption range in visible light area. In this study, an in-situ synthesis method was employed to directly polymerize monomers on the surface of titanium dioxide, resulting in hybrid materials. The efficiency of the TiO2-graphdiyne with the introduction of only 1.9 wt% graphdiyne was found to be 12.6% higher than that of TiO2 under the same test conditions when co-catalyst platinum was added. The improvement is attributed to the band structure of the combined material and efficiency of charge transfer. This work provides a new approach for achieving well-combined plate-like photocatalysts on transparent substrates.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Hongjie Zhang, Wenhuai Zhuge, Feng Yang, Lixing Kang, Shuchen Zhang, Ran Du, Jinjie Qian, Zhi Yang, Yagang Yao, Pan Li, Yue Hu, Jin Zhang
Summary: The article introduces a temperature-mediated method to achieve high-density and specific diameter SWNT arrays. This method can increase the density of the array and control the diameter by reactivating poisoned catalysts to continue the growth of SWNTs. This provides a possibility for the integration of SWNTs into nanodevices.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2022)
Review
Chemistry, Physical
Ning Wang, Yi Li, Qian Cui, Xiaoyue Sun, Yue Hu, Yunjun Luo, Ran Du
Summary: Metal aerogels (MAs) are a new class of porous materials consisting of nanostructured metals. They possess unique physicochemical properties and show great potential in various fields such as electrocatalysis and sensing. However, due to their short research history, fundamental studies and practical applications of MAs are still limited. Challenges include controlled synthesis, structural diversity, and the correlation between material parameters and properties. Thorough knowledge and design principles of MAs are crucial for further development in this promising field.
ACTA PHYSICO-CHIMICA SINICA
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Taibin Wang, Ying Wang, Hongjie Zhang, Xinyu Zhang, Hui Zuo, Jinjie Qian, Ran Du, Shuchen Zhang, Zhi Yang, Qiuchen Zhao, Yue Hu, Shaoming Huang
Summary: This study proposes an effective and facile method to produce high-purity s-SWNT arrays and SWNT intramolecular junctions through photochemical chlorination. The research has significant implications for the application of carbon-based nano-electronic devices.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yi Yu, Xiaoyue Sun, Ran Du, Hongjie Zhang, Dayan Liu, Ying Wang, Xinyu Zhang, Wenyu Zhang, Shuchen Zhang, Jinjie Qian, Yue Hu, Shaoming Huang
Summary: This article introduces the research on growing metal-free SWNT arrays using NaCl as a catalyst. By employing a proper growth strategy, well-defined arrays are obtained. The study also proves the advantage of these metal-free SWNT arrays in preparing stable devices.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Dayan Liu, Kai Xiang, Shuchen Zhang, Ying Wang, Hongjie Zhang, Taibin Wang, Feng Yang, Ran Du, Jinjie Qian, Zhi Yang, Yue Hu, Shaoming Huang
Summary: This study reports the co-realization of high density and chirality controlling of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) in a low-temperature growth process using a developed solid Trojan catalyst. The high temperature Trojan catalyst formation process provides sufficient catalyst number for high density. The liquid Trojan catalysts are cooled to solid state at a low growth temperature (540 degrees C), acting as a good template for chirality controlling of SWNTs with the six-fold symmetry face (111). A horizontal array of (9, 6) and (13, 1) SWNTs with a density of 4 tubes μm(-1) and approximately 90% purity is achieved. The comparison between the initial catalyst distribution and the density of as-grown tubes indicates no sacrificing of catalysts number to improve chirality selectivity. This work opens up new possibilities for catalyst design and chirality control in SWNTs growth.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Weishan Li, Beibei Weng, Xiaoyue Sun, Bin Cai, Rene Huebner, Yunjun Luo, Ran Du
Summary: In recent years, there have been significant efforts to address energy and environmental crises. Among these efforts, electrocatalysis has gained recognition and attention for its high efficiency and easy processability. Metal aerogels (MAs), as emerging electrocatalysts, have shown unique advantages in electrocatalysis due to their three-dimensional conductive pathways, catalytically/optically active sites, and robust network structures. However, due to the short history of MAs, there is still insufficient research on them, providing ample room for material design and performance optimization. This perspective aims to summarize the state-of-the-art progress in electrocatalysis with MAs and guide the efficient design of MAs-based electrocatalysts for energy- and environment-related applications.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Geng Xue, Yueqi Li, Ran Du, Jinying Wang, Rene Huebner, Meng Gao, Yue Hu
Summary: Metal aerogels with controllable dimensions and shapes of Pt and Bi-based single- and bimetallic nano-building blocks (NBBs) were obtained by tuning the metal precursors and ligands. The electrocatalytic and photoelectrocatalytic performance of the aerogels were manipulated by adjusting the content of Pt and Bi components. The study provides insights into the manipulation of NBBs in metal aerogels and guidelines for high-performance electrocatalysts and photoelectrocatalysts based on metal aerogels.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jinhua Li, Huaijuan Zhou, Chun Liu, Shuailong Zhang, Ran Du, Yulin Deng, Xuenong Zou
Summary: Researchers have developed cytomembrane-camouflaged micro/nanorobots to address the issue of phagocytosis and clearance. This camouflage not only protects the micro/nanorobots, but also provides them with new functionalities, such as targeting diseased areas and neutralizing bacterial toxins. This review comprehensively summarizes the recent advances in cytomembrane-camouflaged medical micro/nanorobots and aims to bridge the gap between these camouflaged robots and nanomaterials.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Meiyun Song, Xiaoqing Wang, Ran Du, Zhen Zhou, Xiaomeng Li, Guoping Li, Yunjun Luo
Summary: Carbon fiber reinforced polyether ether ketone (PEEK/CF) composites have been widely used in various fields due to their diverse advantages. However, the high melt viscosity of PEEK affects their processing performance. By introducing a liquid crystal polymer (LCP) as a new strategy, the processing and mechanical performance of PEEK/CF can be improved.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ran Du, Wei Jin, Hengbo Wu, Rene Huebner, Lin Zhou, Geng Xue, Yue Hu, Alexander Eychmueller
Summary: Noble metal aerogels have great potential in electrocatalysis, but the challenge lies in rapidly fabricating NMAs with optimized performance. A disturbance-assisted dynamic shelling strategy has been developed to generate self-supported Au-Pd core-shell gels, showing outstanding CO selectivity and stability in the electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction. This strategy provides a new perspective for designing high-performance electrocatalysts for the CO2RR.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY A
(2021)
Review
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Xiaodi Jiang, Ran Du, Rene Hubner, Yue Hu, Alexander Eychmueller
Summary: Metal aerogels (MAs) have emerged as a new class of porous materials with unique properties, including electrical conductivity, catalytic activity, and plasmonic properties. Despite their potential in various applications, the development of MAs is hindered by the lack of sufficient material basis and challenges in understanding their formation mechanisms.
