Metallogels as Functional Catalysts: Bridging Soft Materials with Sustainable Transformations

Supramolecular gels have become an intriguing medium for investigating the principles of dynamic assembly and creating systems with targeted applications in recent years. The integration of metals (includings metal ions, metal nanoparticles, and metal-organic components) into a gel matrix forms soft polymeric structures, called metallogels. Metallogels represent a new category of functional soft materials, wherein the structural framework is constructed through metal–ligand coordination alongside other noncovalent interactions. Fascinating characteristics, like sol–gel reversibility and facile tunability, distinguish them from other inorganic–organic hybrid materials. Herein, we have summarized the design principles of these soft hybrid materials and the exploration of their catalytic behavior as efficient heterogeneous catalysts (for organic transformation, electrocatalysis, and photocatalysis). This review lays the groundwork for the scientific community by providing an understanding of important concepts, methodology, and current advances in the area.