Aerogels from metal chalcogenides and their emerging unique properties

Metal-oxide and carbon gels and aerogels have been known for a long time. These aerogels have always been of strong interest because of their intriguing properties and potential diverse technological impact. Thanks to new sol-- gel chemistry, chalcogenide nanoparticle and cluster- based aerogels ( chalcogels) are the latest aerogels to come to the field and are now gaining notoriety because of properties not available in conventional aerogels. In this article, we highlight the recent synthetic advances in chalcogenide aerogels and their emerging unique properties and discuss some potential applications.