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Gels
Special Issues
Physicochemical Properties and Applications of Gel Materials
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Physicochemical Properties and Applications of Gel Materials

A special issue of Gels (ISSN 2310-2861). This special issue belongs to the section "Gel Chemistry and Physics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2025 | Viewed by 4915

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Nikolaos Bouropoulos

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Department of Materials Science, University of Patras, GR 26504 Patras, Greece
2. Institute of Chemical Engineering Sciences (FORTH/ICE-HT), GR 26504 Patras, Greece
Interests: biomaterials; gels; calcium phosphates; biomineralization; alginates; zinc oxide; calcium oxalate
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry defines gel as “a non-fluid colloidal network or polymer network that is expanded throughout its whole volume by a fluid”. In polymer chemistry, gels are considered a three-dimensional network of crosslinked polymers with the ability to store a liquid phase. Gels can be classified as natural or synthetic, while depending on the liquid medium in the polymer network, gels are classified as hydrogels, organogels or aerogels, in the case that the medium is a gas. Gels are used in a variety of applications, including in medicine, sensors, biotechnology, industry, agriculture and food. The most studied physicochemical properties of gel materials include their softness, viscoelasticity, swelling behavior, viscoelasticity, rheological and tribological properties, hydrophilicity, biodegradability, biocompatibility and gelation and crosslinking mechanisms.

The current Special Issue is focused on the most recent scientific and technological advances in the study of the physicochemical properties and applications of gel materials. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

  • Biomedical and pharmaceutical applications of gels (tissue engineering scaffolds, drug delivery, soft contact lenses, cosmetics and hand sanitizers);
  • Industrial application of gel materials (lubricants, sealants and adhesives);
  • The use of functional gels and their composites in sensors and actuators (biochemical sensors, thermally, chemically and electrically driven gel actuators);
  • Additive manufacturing or 3D/4D printing of gel-based materials and their composites;
  • Application of gels in the food industry (jams, jellies, confectionery, desserts, milk gels and yogurt);
  • Engineered gels for environmental applications (conducting polymer gels and hybrid polymer gel electrolytes).

It is my pleasure to invite you to submit a manuscript to this Special Issue. Full papers, communications and reviews are all welcome.

Prof. Dr. Nikolaos Bouropoulos
Guest Editor

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.

Keywords

  • hydrogels
  • aerogels
  • smart gels
  • nanocomposite gels
  • gels properties
  • bioinks
  • drug delivery
  • tissue engineering

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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26 pages, 3260 KiB  
Article
Green Synthesis of ZnO Nanoparticles via Ganoderma Lucidum Extract: Structural and Functional Analysis in Polymer Composites
by Ayça Can and Kadriye Kızılbey
Gels 2024, 10(9), 576; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels10090576 - 4 Sep 2024
Viewed by 1088
Abstract
Metallic nanoparticles are of growing interest due to their broad applications. This study presents the green synthesis of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (ZnNPs) using Ganoderma Lucidum mushroom extract, characterized by DLS, SEM, XRD, and FTIR spectroscopy analyses. The synthesis parameters, including extract/salt ratio [...] Read more.
Metallic nanoparticles are of growing interest due to their broad applications. This study presents the green synthesis of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (ZnNPs) using Ganoderma Lucidum mushroom extract, characterized by DLS, SEM, XRD, and FTIR spectroscopy analyses. The synthesis parameters, including extract/salt ratio and mixing time, significantly influenced nanoparticle yield, size, and polydispersity, with longer mixing times leading to larger, more varied particles. Specifically, the sizes of ZnNPs synthesized at a 1:1 extract/ZnCl2 ratio after 3 h and 24 h were 90.0 nm and 243.3 nm, with PDI values of 48.69% and 51.91%, respectively. At a 1:2 ratio, the sizes were 242.3 nm at 3 h (PDI: 43.19%) and a mixture of 1.5 nm, 117.4 nm, and 647.9 nm at 24 h (PDI: 2.72%, 10.97%, and 12.43%). Polymer films incorporating PVA, chitosan, and ZnNPs were analyzed for their morphological, spectroscopic, and mechanical properties. Chitosan reduced tensile strength and elongation due to its brittleness, while ZnNPs further increased film brittleness and structural degradation. A comparison of the tensile strength of films A and C revealed that the addition of chitosan to the PVA film resulted in an approximately 10.71% decrease in tensile strength. Similarly, the analysis of films B1 and B2 showed that the tensile strength of the B2 film decreased by 10.53%. Swelling tests showed that ZnNPs initially enhanced swelling, but excessive amounts led to reduced capacity due to aggregation. This pioneering study demonstrates the potential of Ganoderma Lucidum extract in nanoparticle synthesis and provides foundational insights for future research, especially in wound dressing applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physicochemical Properties and Applications of Gel Materials)
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12 pages, 5087 KiB  
Article
Physicochemical Properties of Mixed Gelatin Gels with Soy and Whey Proteins
by Dong-Heon Song, Na-Eun Yang, Youn-Kyung Ham and Hyun-Wook Kim
Gels 2024, 10(2), 124; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels10020124 - 3 Feb 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2183
Abstract
The physicochemical properties of the mixed gelatin gels with soy and whey proteins were investigated to develop the gel base with a soft texture and abundant essential amino acids for the elderly. Gelatin-only gel (control) was prepared at 6% (w/v [...] Read more.
The physicochemical properties of the mixed gelatin gels with soy and whey proteins were investigated to develop the gel base with a soft texture and abundant essential amino acids for the elderly. Gelatin-only gel (control) was prepared at 6% (w/v), and mixed gelatin gels were formulated by replacing gelatin with soy protein isolate and whey protein concentrate at different mixing ratios [gelatin (G):soy protein isolate (S):whey protein concentrate (W)]. Results showed that replacing gelatin with the globular proteins in gelatin gels increased the pH value and processing yield (p < 0.05). Moreover, the mixed gelatin gels, particularly the G2:S1:W3 treatment, showed significantly higher essential amino acids than the gelatin-only control. The partial replacement of gelatin with the globular proteins could decrease the hardness of gelatin gel (p < 0.05), but there was no difference in hardness between the G2:G3:W1, G2:S2:W2, and G2:S1:W3 treatments (p > 0.05). The results of protein pattern, x-ray diffraction, and microstructure had no clear evidence for specific protein–protein interaction in the mixed gelatin gels. Therefore, this study indicates that mixed gelatin gels with the globular proteins at specific mixing ratios could be a practical approach to providing a soft texture and high-level essential amino acids to the elderly. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physicochemical Properties and Applications of Gel Materials)
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Review

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26 pages, 3577 KiB  
Review
Advanced Applications of Polymer Hydrogels in Electronics and Signal Processing
by Ibragim Suleimenov, Oleg Gabrielyan, Eldar Kopishev, Aruzhan Kadyrzhan, Akhat Bakirov and Yelizaveta Vitulyova
Gels 2024, 10(11), 715; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels10110715 - 6 Nov 2024
Viewed by 571
Abstract
The current state of affairs in the field of using polymer hydrogels for the creation of innovative systems for signal and image processing, of which computing is a special case, is analyzed. Both of these specific examples of systems capable of forming an [...] Read more.
The current state of affairs in the field of using polymer hydrogels for the creation of innovative systems for signal and image processing, of which computing is a special case, is analyzed. Both of these specific examples of systems capable of forming an alternative to the existing semiconductor-based computing technology, but assuming preservation of the used algorithmic basis, and non-trivial signal converters, the nature of which requires transition to fundamentally different algorithms of data processing, are considered. It is shown that the variability of currently developed information processing systems based on the use of polymers, including polymer hydrogels, leads to the need to search for complementary algorithms. Moreover, the well-known thesis that modern polymer science allows for the realization of functional materials with predetermined properties, at the present stage, receives a new sounding: it is acceptable to raise the question of creating systems built on a quasi-biological basis and realizing predetermined algorithms of information or image processing. Specific examples that meet this thesis are considered, in particular, promising information protection systems for UAV groups, as well as systems based on the coupling of neural networks with holograms that solve various applied problems. These and other case studies demonstrate the importance of interdisciplinary cooperation for solving problems arising from the need for further modernization of signal processing systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physicochemical Properties and Applications of Gel Materials)
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