Chalcogenide Aerogels

Abstract

A class of aerogels based exclusively on metal chalcogenide frameworks was established in 2004, opening up a range of exciting properties and applications not encompassed by their oxide brethren. The optical semiconducting properties are tunable over a wide range from the UV through to the IR depending on the chemical composition, and gels prepared from nanoparticle assembly exhibit the characteristic quantum confinement effects of their nanoparticle building blocks. The soft Lewis basic characteristics of the framework and the presence of an interconnected pore network result in unique sorption properties that may be suitable for environmental remediation, gas separation, catalysis, renewable energy, and energy storage. This chapter presents a detailed description of the advances in chalcogenide aerogels since they were initially reported in 2004, focusing on the different methods of synthesis developed, the consequent physicochemical properties, and potential applications.