Cryogelation and Cryogels 2.0
A special issue of Gels (ISSN 2310-2861).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2020) | Viewed by 14794
Special Issue Editor
Interests: engineering of porous materials; biopolymers; aerogels; cryo processes; coarse-grained modeling
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Cryogelation, a polymerization process intended to form a crosslinked and macroporous gel network at sub-zero temperatures, has initially been used only for a handful of polymers since the 1970s. Gels produced with this process are known as freeze-thawed cryogels, or more commonly cryogels. In the recent years, cryogelation processes have gained momentum and have been applied to a variety of polymers, including biopolymers and hybrid systems. More research is undergoing to expand the polymer library but also to better understand the underlying mechanisms of cryogelation.
Alternatively, a different class of cryogels, namely freeze-dried cryogels, are made from standard hydrogels that undergo a process of cryostructuration. While freeze drying from aqueous system often results in a structural damage of the gel, recent advances such as flash freezing and drying from non-aqueous solutions remedy this problem opening up to a new class of porous solids.
This Special Issue “Cryogelation and Cryogels 2.0” is dedicated to highlight recent developments and new advancements in this rapidly growing field of employing cryogenic processes to induce gelation, as well as to preserve gel macrostructure during sublimation. Contributions covering the following topics from fundamental and application-driven perspectives are welcome and encouraged:
- Cryogelation and freezing/thawing of both inorganic and organic precursors including biopolymers;
- Novel cryogenic processes such as flash freezing and freeze drying with non-aqueous solvents;
- Mechanisms of cryogelation and related processes;
- Cryogelation using unusual polymers;
- Applications of cryogels in material and life sciences.
Prof. Dr. Pavel Gurikov
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- Freezing/thawing cryostructuration
- Cryotropic gelation
- Cryogels
- Freeze drying
- Sublimation
- Pore engineering
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Related Special Issue
- Cryogelation and Cryogels in Gels (10 articles)