Advances in the Synthesis of Functional Colloidal Gels

Colloidal gels—interactive polymer colloids that respond to external stimuli—have gained significant attention due to their versatility and wide-ranging applications in catalysis, sensing, plant protection, and medicine. This chapter provides an overview of recent advances in microgel synthesis, emphasizing innovations in synthetic strategies allowing structural and topological control over a broad size range—from below 100 nm up to several hundreds of micrometers. Key developments include advances in precipitation polymerization (including continuous flow polymerization techniques), emulsion-based syntheses (including both miniemulsions and microfluidic-based processes), and solvent-free mechanochemical synthesis routes enabling precise control over size, morphology, and physicochemical properties of colloidal gels. In particular, this chapter demonstrates how different synthesis strategies can be used to synthesize complex colloidal gels exhibiting core-shell, hollow, rod-like, or Janus-like structures. These developments pave the way to tailored colloidal gels with improved performance, tunability, and biocompatibility, expanding their potential applications in functional soft materials.