Functionalization of Aerogels with Coordination Compounds

Aerogels are unique solid-phase materials characterized by very high open porosity and specific surface area. Owing to these features, aerogels are widely used as heat and sound insulators, gas filters, sorbents, and others. In addition, aerogels are promising matrices for manufacturing selective catalysts, gas sensors, luminophores, etc. Methods and approaches of coordination chemistry provide new possibilities for designing novel hybrid materials characterized by a combination of practically important physicochemical properties inherent in aerogels and metal complexes. The modification of aerogels with coordination compounds gives polyfunctional materials characterized by high porosity and specific surface area along with excellent catalytic, photocatalytic, magnetic, luminescence, and other properties. The approaches of coordination chemistry providing the chemical binding of coordination compounds with the aerogel matrix to form aerogels with new functional properties are generalized and examined for the first time. The known examples for the successful accomplishment of these approaches, including those proposed earlier by the authors, are considered. The data on the practical use of thus prepared materials are presented.