Versatile Design of Metal Aerogels for Environmental Remediation: An Overview

Abstract As one of the latest members in the aerogel family, metal aerogels (MAs) appear to be promising materials entirely structured from nanosized metals. The combined attributes of nanometals and aerogels render them a special class of porous materials with vast potential in diverse fields. Growing environmental concerns have spurred interest in MAs for environmental remediation. Although the special features of MAs endow them with exceptional performance and multiple functions, research in environmental remediation is in its infancy, and a systematic summarization is lacking. This manuscript gives an overview of the progress and future prospects of MAs for environmental remediation. After briefing on the typical properties and mainstream synthesis strategies, the environmental application of MAs is elaborated from aspects of pollutant detection and elimination. Finally, the current challenges and future opportunities are concluded, offering a guideline to rationally design MAs for environmental remediation.