Multifunctional Polymer Nano-, Micro- and Hydro- Gels: Synthesis, Properties and Applications (2nd Edition)

Dear Colleagues,

The 2nd edition of the Special Issue on “Multifunctional Polymer Nano-, Micro- and Hydrogels: Synthesis, Properties and Applications” is dedicated to the recent advances in the macro- and micro-hydrogel field. In the first edition, 10 papers were published, which can be accessed via the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/gels/special_issues/J596924P2D

Within this context, a broad range of subjects, including hydrogel preparation and characterization, mechanism expression, and applications, will be discussed.

Hydrogels are 3D cross-linked polymer networks with a high content of water, which can be divided into macroscopic and microscopic gels according to their size. Macroscopic gels are usually directly referred to as hydrogels because of their large size and can be discerned by the naked eye. Microscopic gels are also called microgels or nanogels; scholars generally consider hydrogels with a size of 20-200 nm to be nanogels, and those with a size larger than 200 nm to be microgels. In recent years, macro- and micro-hydrogels have been widely developed and applied in biomedical engineering, antibacterial coatings, soft robots, flexible materials and other fields due to their advantages of softness, swellability, fast response and good biocompatibility.

This Special Issue focuses on the design of functional macro- and micro-hydrogels by controlling their synthesis and characterization, including theoretical and fundamental aspects. Their physical and chemical properties can be affected by factors such as the choice of monomers, polymers and crosslinking methods. Research should cover new methods and ideas for preparing gels, as well as the construction of new functional hydrogel materials that have advanced interdisciplinary applications.

We look forward to receiving your valued contributions to this Special Issue.

Dr. Mingning Zhu
Dr. Wenkai Wang
Dr. Ruixue Liu
Dr. Qinghua Wei
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Gels is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2100 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• multifunctional gels
• multiscale structure
• stimuli responses
• multiple sensing
• colloids and interfaces
• mechanical character
• biomaterials
• flexible electronics
• controlled release
• photoluminescence probe
• adhesives and dressings

• Multifunctional Polymer Nano-, Micro- and Hydro- Gels: Synthesis, Properties and Applications in Gels (9 articles)