A Roadmap for 3D Metal Aerogels: Materials Design and Application Attempts

Armed with merits of the metals (e.g., electrical conductivity, catalytic activity, and plasmonic properties) and aerogels (e.g., monolithic structure, porous network, and large specific surface area), metal aerogels (MAs) have stood out as a new class of porous materials in the last decade. With unparalleled potential in electrocatalysis, plasmonics, and sensing, they are envisaged to revolutionize the energyand detection-related application fields. However, MA development is severely retarded by the lack of a sufficient material basis. Suffering from the ambiguous understanding of formation mechanisms, big challenges remain for tailoring MAs for task -specific applications. By surveying state-of-the-art developments, this review strives to summarize design principles and arouse interest in broad scientific communities. Moreover, critical challenges and opportunities are highlighted to provide a research roadmap for this young yet promising field.

Automated 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.