Aerogels as Hopeful Materials in Analytical Chemistry: An Overview

Aerogels, a remarkable class of nanoporous materials, have garnered significant attention across various scientific and industrial domains. These ultralight substances boast an impressive array of characteristics, including extraordinarily low density, expansive surface area, robust pressure resistance, and notable chemical stability. Such unique attributes have propelled aerogels into diverse applications spanning construction, medicine, and notably analytical chemistry. In the latter field, aerogels have demonstrated remarkable versatility, finding uses in electrode modification, sample preparation, and spectroscopic analysis. The main focus of this review is to discuss the application of aerogel-based materials in analytical chemistry focusing on chromatography, electrochemistry, and spectroscopy methods. As research continues to uncover new potentials and refine existing applications, aerogels are poised to play an increasingly crucial role in advancing analytical methodologies, promising improved sensitivity, selectivity, and efficiency in chemical analyses across multiple disciplines. This review shows that aerogels have an important ranking in sample preparation. Aerogels can be easily used in electrochemistry because of their electrical conductivity and monolithic structure. The presence of a metal in the structure of aerogel makes it more suitable for electrochemical applications. The use of aerogels in spectrometric methods can enhance the analytical capabilities due to their effective light interaction, low density, and transparency.