TY - JOUR

T1 - Nanoparticle-Based Cryogels from Colloidal Aqueous Dispersion: Synthesis, Properties and Applications

AU - Borg, Hadir

AU - Morales, Irene

AU - Dorfs, Dirk

AU - Bigall, Nadja C.

N1 - Funding Information: This work has received funding from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) under Germany's Excellence Strategy within the Cluster of Excellence PhoenixD (EXC 2122, Project ID 390833453) and the Cluster of Excellence CUI: Advanced Imaging of Matter' (EXC2056, project ID 390715994). We acknowledge financial support from the Open Access Publication Fund of Universität Hamburg. I.M. thanks the Leibniz Universität Hannover and the Cluster of Excellence PhoenixD for funding within the Caroline Herschel Programme. Furthermore, N.C.B. thanks the DFG (Research Grant BI 1708/4‐3) for funding. Open Access funding enabled and organized by Projekt DEAL.

PY - 2024/4

Y1 - 2024/4

N2 - Cryogels have morphological features that make them interesting for several applications such as catalysis, sensing or tissue engineering. Their interconnected network and open porous structure, build up by primary particles (such as inorganic nanocrystals or polymers), provide these materials with unique physical properties and high specific surface areas. While the library of cryogels is endless, widely used in the polymer chemistry field, in this review we will summarize the structure and properties, applications and challenges of inorganic nanocrystal-based cryogels obtained by freezing and freeze-drying an aqueous nanoparticle colloid. This fast, easy and versatile gelation method will be outlined, along with the corresponding macro-, micro- and nano-structures and gel morphologies that can be obtained, for example, by changing the freezing temperature or by using one nanoparticle system or nanoparticle mixtures. Their applications towards electrocatalysis, photocatalysis and photoelectrochemical sensing will be highlighted, as well as the challenges and prospects of these materials.

AB - Cryogels have morphological features that make them interesting for several applications such as catalysis, sensing or tissue engineering. Their interconnected network and open porous structure, build up by primary particles (such as inorganic nanocrystals or polymers), provide these materials with unique physical properties and high specific surface areas. While the library of cryogels is endless, widely used in the polymer chemistry field, in this review we will summarize the structure and properties, applications and challenges of inorganic nanocrystal-based cryogels obtained by freezing and freeze-drying an aqueous nanoparticle colloid. This fast, easy and versatile gelation method will be outlined, along with the corresponding macro-, micro- and nano-structures and gel morphologies that can be obtained, for example, by changing the freezing temperature or by using one nanoparticle system or nanoparticle mixtures. Their applications towards electrocatalysis, photocatalysis and photoelectrochemical sensing will be highlighted, as well as the challenges and prospects of these materials.

KW - catalysis

KW - cryogels

KW - freeze-drying

KW - nanocrystal building blocks

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85187684728&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1002/cnma.202300532

DO - 10.1002/cnma.202300532

M3 - Review article

AN - SCOPUS:85187684728

VL - 10

JO - CHEMNANOMAT

JF - CHEMNANOMAT

SN - 2199-692X

IS - 4

M1 - e202300532

ER -