A Tutorial Review on Composites of Silica and Smart Microgels

Silica-smart microgel composites are a unique combination, and have been given a lot of attention due to their versatile application in diverse fields. This review article explores the study of composites of silica with crosslinked organic polymeric microgels. The design of synthesis and architectural morphology-based classification of silica-microgel composites are explained in this review. The stimulus-responsive behavior of silica-microgel composites under various conditions of pH, temperature, and ionic strength have been discussed briefly. The reported characterization techniques and their results for silica-microgel composites have also been described. The applications of silica-microgel composites as adsorbent for organic dyes and CO2 gas, catalyst for reduction/oxidation reactions, proton conducting materials, anti-cancer agents, anti-corrosion materials, drug carriers, and biosensors are also discussed critically. Future directions of silica-microgel composites have been described for the readers.