The present invention relates to novel composite materials comprising elemental gold in the form of single crystals, amyloid fibrils and a polymer. This composite material is similar to glassy plastics yet lighter than aluminum and has a golden shining similar to 18K gold. Due to its unique properties, this composite is termed “light gold”. This composite material suits, for example, watches, jewelry, radiation shielding, catalysis and electronics. The invention further provides for environmentally friendly methods to manufacture such composite materials.

Process for preparing alumina gel in a single precipitation step consisting of dissolving an aluminium precursor, aluminium chloride, in water, at a temperature of 10° C. to 90° C. such that the pH of the solution is from 0.5 to 5, for a period of 2 to 60 minutes, then adjusting the pH to 7.5 to 9.5 by adding a basic precursor, sodium hydroxide, to the solution obtained to obtain a suspension, at a temperature of 5° C. to 35° C., and for 5 minutes to 5 hours, followed by a filtration step, said process not comprising any washing steps. Also, novel alumina gel having a high dispersibility index, in particular a dispersibility index of more than 80%, a crystallite dimension of 0.5 to 10 nm, a chlorine content of 0.001% to 2% by weight and a sodium content of 0.001% to 2% by weight, the percentages by weight being expressed with respect to the total weight of the alumina gel.

There is provided a method for preparing a dense hydrogel comprising an at least partially gelled hydrogel, placing the at least partially gelled hydrogel in fluid communication with an end of a capillary, and driving the at least partially gelled hydrogel into the capillary to form a dense hydrogel. There is also provided a system for preparing the dense hydrogel comprising a capillary having a bore; and a driver in communication with an end of the capillary for driving an at least partially gelled hydrogel into the bore of the capillary to form a dense hydrogel.

The invention relates to a method for producing an aerogel material with a porosity of at least 0.55 and an average pore size of 10 nm to 500 nm, having the following steps: a) preparing and optionally activating a sol; b) filling the sol into a casting mold (10); c) gelling the sol, whereby a gel is produced, and subsequently aging the gel; at least one of the following steps d) and e), d) substituting the pore liquid with a solvent; e) chemically modifying the aged and optionally solvent-substituted gel (6) using a reaction agent; followed by f) drying the gel, whereby the aerogel material is formed. The casting mold used in step b) is provided with a plurality of channel-forming elements (2) which are designed such that the sol filled into the casting mold lies overall at a maximum distance X from a channel-forming element over a specified minimum length L defined in the channel direction of the elements, with the proviso that X<15 mm and L/X>3.

Methods for the deposition of thin films comprising at least preparing a solution containing at least one transition metal oxide powder in a solvent, continuously stirring said solution in order to form a sol, and using said sol in the form of said transition metal oxide film, wherein the powder is subjected to a preliminary preparation step.

The present invention relates to a method of preparing a hydrophobic metal oxide-silica composite aerogel having a high specific surface area and a low tap density and a hydrophobic metal oxide-silica composite aerogel prepared thereby. Thus, the preparation method may not only have excellent productivity and economic efficiency due to a relatively simpler preparation process and shorter preparation time than the related art, but may also prepare a hydrophobic metal oxide-silica composite aerogel having a high specific surface area and a low tap density.

A method of synthesis of two-dimensional (2D) nanoflakes comprises the cutting of prefabricated nanoparticles. The method allows high control over the shape, size and composition of the 2D nanoflakes, and can be used to produce material with uniform properties in large quantities. Van der Waals heterostructure devices are prepared by fabricating nanoparticles, chemically cutting the nanoparticles to form nanoflakes, dispersing the nanoflakes in a solvent to form an ink, and depositing the ink to form a thin film.

Provided are hollow particles which are more excellent in heat resistance and dispersibility than ever before and which are lightweight. The hollow particles containing hollow resin particles having a surface covered with inorganic fine particles, wherein a volume average particle diameter of the hollow particles is from 0.1 μm to 9.0 μm, and a void ratio thereof is from 55% to 95%; wherein a repeating unit constituting the resin of the hollow resin particles contains a crosslinkable monomer unit, and a content of the crosslinkable monomer unit is from 25 to 100 parts by mass, with respect to 100 parts by mass of the resin; wherein a primary particle diameter of the inorganic fine particles is from 10 nm to 120 nm; and wherein the inorganic fine particles are contained at from 5 to 180 parts by mass, with respect to 100 parts by mass of the hollow resin particles.

Methods of making permeable aerogels (100) can include providing a sol mixture (110) comprising an organic scaffold, an inorganic aerogel precursor, and a first solvent. The organic scaffold can be insoluble in the first solvent. The sol mixture can react to form a gel (120) such that an interconnected channel network is formed which is at least partially defined by the organic scaffold. The first solvent in the gel can be exchanged (130) with a second solvent. The second solvent can dissolve the organic scaffold to expose the interconnected channel network. The gel can be dried (140) to form the permeable aerogel.

This invention relates to a formulation comprising a proteinaceous microgel and one or more biopolymeric nanofibrils. The invention also relates to methods for preparing such formulations. The invention also contemplates the uses of the formulations.