Sol–gel research in China: a brief history and recent research trends in synthesis of sol–gel derived materials and their applications

The sol–gel process has become a rapidly growing research area in materials science. A variety of materials prepared via sol–gel routes have shown unique properties and characteristics that are difficult to achieve using conventional methods. In recent years, tremendous progress in sol–gel R&D has been made not only in the world but also in China. Here, this review provides a retrospective overview of the sol–gel history in China and summarizes recent progress and applications of sol–gel research in Chinese universities, institutes, and industries. It highlights some of the recent developments published by Chinese researchers in the last 5 years, ranging from the sol–gel synthesis of nanomaterials, bulk materials, and functional coatings, to their applications in the fields of energy conversion, energy storage, photocatalysis, etc. It is evident that sol–gel technology nowadays in China has evolved into a vibrant research area both in academia and industry. [Figure: see text]