As a kind of efficient adsorptive material, hydrogel has a wide application prospect within different fields, owing to its unique 3D network structures composed of polymers. In this paper, different synthetic strategies, crosslinking methods and their corresponding limitations and outstanding contributions of applications in the fields of removing environmental pollutants are reviewed to further provide a prospective view of their applications in water resources sustainability. Furthermore, the applications within the biomedical field, especially in wound dressing, are also reviewed in this paper, mainly due to their unique water retention ability, antibacterial ability, and good biocompatibility. Finally, the development direction of hydrogels in the fields of environmental remediation and biomedicine were summarized and prospected.

Low-temperature dried alginate/silica hybrid aerogel beads with a large specific surface area (160.8 m²/g), low density (0.160 m²/g), and high degree of sphericity were successfully fabricated. Single networks of silica aerogels beads were synthesized via by calcining hybrid aerogel beads in air. Moreover, alginate-derived carbon/silica aerogel beads were also obtained by the thermal treatment of the hybrid aerogel beads in nitrogen, which were indicative of the double networks of the as-synthesized crack-free hybrid aerogel beads for the first time. The adsorption performances of above aerogel beads were also investigated. Meanwhile, using a common silane coupling agent as a modifying agent, a series of hybrid aerogel beads with tunable functional surfaces were obtained. The results showed that the obtained samples adsorbed Pb²⁺ well, and the hybrid aerogel beads modified with KH-590 exhibited an experimental maximum adsorption capacity of Pb²⁺ of 193.73 mg·g⁻¹.

Silica aerogel has garnered significant attention in the biomedical field, primarily due to its unique combination of a three-dimensional structure, low density, tunable nanoscale pores, and an extensive surface area. These intrinsic properties render it as an exceptional candidate for advanced drug delivery systems (DDSs). In the realm of medical applications, silica aerogels have demonstrated remarkable potential, especially in nanoscale DDSs. Traditional drug delivery methods, such as capsules and tablets, are often plagued by several drawbacks, including poor bioavailability, lack of target specificity, and multidrug resistance. These limitations necessitate the development of more efficient and targeted drug delivery systems. Recent advancements in the synthesis and modification of silica aerogels have significantly enhanced their biocompatibility and functionalization capabilities. These improvements have further bolstered their potential for controlled release and targeted delivery of therapeutic agents. This study is based on silica aerogel-based nanocarrier systems, providing an in-depth exploration of its fundamental principles, preparation processes, and recent advancements. Based on this, we summarize the drug delivery methods, drug release characteristics, and diverse medical applications of silica aerogels. Additionally, we discuss the challenges and future prospects of applying silica aerogels in drug delivery systems, aiming to provide a comprehensive overview of this field.

As highly porous nanomaterials, aerogels are fascinating due to their remarkable structural properties and performance

A warm-up is a critical procedure in sports science for enhancing muscular performance and optimizing subsequent athletic activities. However, the physiological and athletic performance effects of a warm-up are often transient, diminishing rapidly during the period of inactivity after the warm-up, which is known as the warm-up transition phase. In this study, a multi-functional thermoregulation wearable composite film of graphene–MXene–bacterial cellulose/polyethylene glycol (G-M-BC/PEG) was developed by integrating MXene (a two-dimensional material with good photothermal conversion performance) and graphene into a bacterial cellulose aerogel framework, subsequently impregnated with polyethylene glycol (PEG-2000). The film showed stable structure, efficient solar photothermal conversion and storage (SPCS), and improved mechanical properties. Under 1 sun irradiation, the optimized G-M-BC/PEG wearable film showed excellent SPCS performance, sustaining a temperature plateau of 38–40 °C for 10 min after the xenon lamp was switched off under 1 sun irradiation, with a leakage rate of only 5.32% after five cycles. By constructing a biomimetic sports human body model, the composite aerogel was shown to significantly elevate muscle surface temperature and effectively mitigate heat loss during the transition phase. In the warm-up effectiveness and sports performance tests, the wearable film improved 200 m sprint performance by 0.8% ± 0.4% (p = 0.039). It also maintained subjective thermal sensation during the warm-up transition phase, with no significant decline at 5 or 10 min after the warm-up and a significant decrease only at 15 min (p = 0.02), while thermal comfort remained stable, suggesting improved neuromuscular readiness. This research provided a novel strategy for the fabrication of advanced aerogel-based wearable devices aimed at precision thermal management and athletic performance optimization.