Researchers led by a team at the University of Waterloo say that a technique known as droplet templating could allow for applications in wastewater treatment by filling aqueous-based droplets with specific nanomaterials to create stable, hybrid aerogels.
Dr. Milad Kamkar, a professor in Waterloo’s Department of Chemical Engineering, says that droplet templating could allow aerogel beads to be loaded with different nanoparticles, each targeting specific contaminants, strategically packed in a column to optimize treatment as wastewater flows through it.
“Researchers can now control not only the composition but also where each droplet is arranged within a liquid, essentially making the droplets and the resulting soft materials and aerogels programmable,” Kamkar said in a statement from the University of Waterloo.
A paper on the work, Droplet-templating soft materials into structured bead-based aerogels with compartmentalized or welded configurations, appeared in Material Horizons earlier in 2025. Kamkar and the Waterloo team collaborated on the project with researchers at the University of British Columbia and Drexel University in Philadelphia. The paper states that by utilizing “a simple one-step freeze-drying” of soft materials, aerogels with any specific composition can be achieved.
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The technique allows researchers to create tiny droplets of one liquid inside another liquid without mixing the two together. Scientists are now able to control the precise location of components and nanomaterials, Kamkar added.
In the fight against climate change, droplet templating would also allow for aerogel beads to be infused with metal-organic frameworks and other functional materials to capture carbon dioxide from the air for potential applications involving sensors, electronics and the aerospace industry.
Another potential use case for droplet templating is to shield against electromagnetic waves, which can interfere with sensitive equipment. Aerogel beads filled with magnetic and conductive nanomaterials could be strategically placed in buildings like hospitals to protect patients and equipment from electromagnetic interference.
“In the modern world, we’re constantly surrounded by electromagnetic waves from electronics such as cell phones, laptops and Wi-Fi, which can negatively affect the performance of sensitive equipment,” Kamkar said. “These waves can also cause serious health issues, such as cancer. Removing this invisible pollution from our environment is a big challenge, and these aerogel beads could help address it.”
