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Gels
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Hydrogels: Synthesis, Characterization and Applications (2nd Edition)
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Hydrogels: Synthesis, Characterization and Applications (2nd Edition)

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2024) | Viewed by 6317

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Dezhong Zhou

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Chemical Engineering and Technology (SCET), Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
Interests: biomaterials; hyperbranched polymers; cyclized polymers; non-viral gene vector; controlled/living polymerization
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Shuai Liu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
Interests: gene therapy; mRNA delivery; lipid nanoparticles; gene editing; biomaterials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Hydrogels, due to their biomimetic nature, have been widely explored for application in regenerative medicine. With the advancements in chemistry, biology and material sciences, diverse new methods for the synthesis and characterization of hydrogels have been proposed; the chemical compositions, topological structures and functionalities of hydrogels can be manipulated more effectively; and the physiological properties and biological functions of hydrogels can be further tailor-made and greatly enhanced. Correspondingly, the utility of hydrogels in regenerative medicine, in terms of tissue engineering, drug delivery and diagnosis, etc., have been intensively assessed, both in vitro and in vivo. This progress in the field has brought hydrogels ever closer to achieving their potential in regenerative medicine. Meanwhile, new challenges associated with translating hydrogels from bench to bedside have also emerged. In this Special Issue, we aim to highlight the most recent progress in the synthesis, characterization and application of hydrogels in regenerative medicine, with the expectation to provide new insights into the development of clinical applicable hydrogels. We invite original research articles and review papers that cover the emerging methods for synthesizing and characterizing hydrogels, new strategies in tailoring the chemical compositions, functionalities and properties of hydrogels, the in vitro and in vivo performance of hydrogels in tissue engineering, drug delivery and diagnosis, etc., and potential challenges in translating hydrogels to clinical settings.

Prof. Dr. Dezhong Zhou
Dr. Shuai Liu
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.

Keywords

  • regenerative medicine
  • biomaterials
  • hydrogels
  • tissue engineering
  • drug delivery
  • diagnosis

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 3040 KiB  
Article
Functional Hydrogels Promote Vegetable Growth in Cadmium-Contaminated Soil
by Jin Huang, Takehiko Gotoh, Satoshi Nakai and Akihiro Ueda
Gels 2024, 10(5), 348; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels10050348 - 20 May 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1616
Abstract
Over the years, the concentration of cadmium in soil has increased due to industrialization. Cadmium in the soil enters the human body through plant accumulation, seriously endangering human health. In the current study, two types of hydrogels were successfully synthesized using a free [...] Read more.
Over the years, the concentration of cadmium in soil has increased due to industrialization. Cadmium in the soil enters the human body through plant accumulation, seriously endangering human health. In the current study, two types of hydrogels were successfully synthesized using a free radical polymerization method: an ion-type hydrogel referred to as DMAPAA (N-(3-(Dimethyl amino) propyl) acrylamide)/DMAPAAQ (N,N-Dimethyl amino propyl acrylamide, methyl chloride quaternary) and a non-ion-type hydrogel known as DMAA (N,N-Dimethylacrylamide). In the experiment carried out in this study, the ion-type hydrogel DMAPAA/DMAPAAQ was introduced to cadmium-contaminated soil for vegetable cultivation. The study found that at cadmium levels of 0 and 2 mg/kg in soil, when exposed to a pH 2 solution, cadmium wasn’t detected in the filtrate using ICP. As the amount of cadmium increased to 500 mg/kg, hydrogel addition gradually reduced the filtrate cadmium concentration. Notably, the use of the 4% hydrogel resulted in 0 mg/L of cadmium. For the 0% hydrogel, vegetable cadmium absorption was determined to be 0.07 mg/g, contrasting with 0.03 mg/g for the 4% hydrogel. The DMAPAA/DMAPAAQ hydrogel significantly boosts vegetable growth by efficiently absorbing nitrate ions through ion exchange, releasing them for plant uptake. In contrast, the DMAA hydrogel, used as a control, does not enhance plant growth despite its water absorption properties. In summary, the composite hydrogel shows great potential for enhancing vegetable yield and immobilizing heavy metals in soil. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydrogels: Synthesis, Characterization and Applications (2nd Edition))
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18 pages, 6720 KiB  
Article
Design and Synthesis of P(AAm-co-NaAMPS)-Alginate-Xanthan Hydrogels and the Study of Their Mechanical and Rheological Properties in Artificial Vascular Graft Applications
by Zhutong Li, Joshua Giarto, Jue Zhang, Jinsu Gim, Edward Chen, Eduardo Enriquez, Lauren Jafuta, Esha Mahalingam and Lih-Sheng Turng
Gels 2024, 10(5), 319; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels10050319 - 7 May 2024
Viewed by 1116
Abstract
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the number one cause of mortality among non-communicable diseases worldwide. Expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) is a widely used material for making artificial vascular grafts to treat CVDs; however, its application in small-diameter vascular grafts is limited by the issues of [...] Read more.
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the number one cause of mortality among non-communicable diseases worldwide. Expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) is a widely used material for making artificial vascular grafts to treat CVDs; however, its application in small-diameter vascular grafts is limited by the issues of thrombosis formation and intimal hyperplasia. This paper presents a novel approach that integrates a hydrogel layer on the lumen of ePTFE vascular grafts through mechanical interlocking to efficiently facilitate endothelialization and alleviate thrombosis and restenosis problems. This study investigated how various gel synthesis variables, including N,N’-Methylenebisacrylamide (MBAA), sodium alginate, and calcium sulfate (CaSO4), influence the mechanical and rheological properties of P(AAm-co-NaAMPS)-alginate-xanthan hydrogels intended for vascular graft applications. The findings obtained can provide valuable guidance for crafting hydrogels suitable for artificial vascular graft fabrication. The increased sodium alginate content leads to increased equilibrium swelling ratios, greater viscosity in hydrogel precursor solutions, and reduced transparency. Adding more CaSO4 decreases the swelling ratio of a hydrogel system, which offsets the increased swelling ratio caused by alginate. Increased MBAA in the hydrogel system enhances both the shear modulus and Young’s modulus while reducing the transparency of the hydrogel system and the pore size of freeze-dried samples. Overall, Hydrogel (6A12M) with 2.58 mg/mL CaSO4 was the optimal candidate for ePTFE–hydrogel vascular graft applications due to its smallest pore size, highest shear storage modulus and Young’s modulus, smallest swelling ratio, and a desirable precursor solution viscosity that facilitates fabrication. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydrogels: Synthesis, Characterization and Applications (2nd Edition))
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26 pages, 8628 KiB  
Article
Novel Injectable Hydrogel Formulations and Gas Chromatography Analysis of the Residual Crosslinker in Formulations Intended for Pharmaceutical and Cosmetic Applications
by Fatimah Rashid, Paul Carter and Stephen Childs
Gels 2024, 10(4), 280; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels10040280 - 21 Apr 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1628
Abstract
Novel hyaluronic acid (HA) crosslinked with pentaerythritol tetra-acrylate (PT) injectable hydrogels was invented. These injectable hydrogel/dermal filler formulations were synthesised using HA and the acrylate PT as a crosslinker under basic pH conditions using thermal crosslinking methods (oven heating), which provides a simple, [...] Read more.
Novel hyaluronic acid (HA) crosslinked with pentaerythritol tetra-acrylate (PT) injectable hydrogels was invented. These injectable hydrogel/dermal filler formulations were synthesised using HA and the acrylate PT as a crosslinker under basic pH conditions using thermal crosslinking methods (oven heating), which provides a simple, safe, and eco-friendly method for crosslinking in 4 h under 45 °C. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses were conducted to represent the difference between the formulations in terms of peak formation and pore size, respectively. The crosslinking was partial as is considered to be typical for dermal injectable fillers. The rheological properties of these formulations showed that these novel dermal injectables are highly promising, and the newly developed fillers could be used with better results for dermal anti-wrinkle corrections, shaping, and volumising reasons. Furthermore, crosslinker (PT) residual analysis was carried out to state the formulations that are valid and acceptable for intradermal usage. The results from the GC method validation revealed it was a suitable method for this study. The GC analysis of all five injectable hydrogel/filler formulations demonstrated the formulations HA-PT 1, 2, 3 and 4 were formulated using (0.05–0.1)% w/w PT containing residual PT monomers within the safe limits that were determined to be below (0.008% w/w). This work has shown the development of a novel injectable hydrogel/filler formulation for pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications can be prepared in a more sustainable and simple way using pentaerythritol tetra-acrylate as a crosslinker agent, which holds great promise for the industry’s future advancement. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydrogels: Synthesis, Characterization and Applications (2nd Edition))
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Review

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28 pages, 2547 KiB  
Review
Overview of Dynamic Bond Based Hydrogels for Reversible Adhesion Processes
by Ilaria Condò, Sara Maria Giannitelli, Daniela Lo Presti, Barbara Cortese and Ornella Ursini
Gels 2024, 10(7), 442; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels10070442 - 4 Jul 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1407
Abstract
Polymeric hydrogels are soft materials with a three-dimensional (3D) hydrophilic network capable of retaining and absorbing large amounts of water or biological fluids. Due to their customizable properties, these materials are extensively studied for developing matrices for 3D cell culture scaffolds, drug delivery [...] Read more.
Polymeric hydrogels are soft materials with a three-dimensional (3D) hydrophilic network capable of retaining and absorbing large amounts of water or biological fluids. Due to their customizable properties, these materials are extensively studied for developing matrices for 3D cell culture scaffolds, drug delivery systems, and tissue engineering. However, conventional hydrogels still exhibit many drawbacks; thus, significant efforts have been directed towards developing dynamic hydrogels that draw inspiration from organisms’ natural self-repair abilities after injury. The self-healing properties of these hydrogels are closely associated with their ability to form, break, and heal dynamic bonds in response to various stimuli. The primary objective of this review is to provide a comprehensive overview of dynamic hydrogels by examining the types of chemical bonds associated with them and the biopolymers utilized, and to elucidate the chemical nature of dynamic bonds that enable the modulation of hydrogels’ properties. While dynamic bonds ensure the self-healing behavior of hydrogels, they do not inherently confer adhesive properties. Therefore, we also highlight emerging approaches that enable dynamic hydrogels to acquire adhesive properties. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydrogels: Synthesis, Characterization and Applications (2nd Edition))
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