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Gels publishes Special Issues to create collections of papers on specific topics, with the aim of building a community of authors and readers to discuss the latest research and develop new ideas and research directions. Special Issues are led by Guest Editors, who are experts on the topic and all Special Issue submissions follow MDPI's standard editorial process. The journal’s Editor-in-Chief and/or designated Editorial Board Member will oversee Guest Editor appointments and Special Issue proposals, checking their content for relevance and ensuring the suitability of the material for the journal. The papers published in a Special Issue will be collected and displayed on a dedicated page of the journal’s website. Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies and Guest Editor responsibilities can be found here. For any inquiries related to a Special Issue, please contact the Editorial Office.

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Applications of Gels for Enhanced Oil Recovery

edited by Ming Qu, Mingguo Peng and Tuo Liang

submission deadline 15 Jan 2026 | 16 articles | Viewed by 25100 | Submission Open

Keywords: enhanced oil recovery of gels; preparation and synthesis of innovative gels; environmentally friendly gels; percolation behaviors of gels; nanomaterials that improve gel properties; profile control and water plugging of gels; CCUS; shale oil; tight oil; low-permeability reservoir; conventional reservoir; fractured-vuggy reservoir; numerical simulation

(This special issue belongs to the Section Gel Applications)

Advances in Multi-Material Hydrogel for 3D Bioprinting

edited by Hatai Jongprasitkul, David A. Fulton and

Vijay Singh Parihar

submission deadline 15 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 338 | Submission Open

Keywords: 3D bioprinting; bioinks; multi-hydrogel system; hybrid hydrogels; self-healing hydrogels; dynamic hydrogels; photocrosslinking; rheology; tissue engineering

(This special issue belongs to the Section Gel Chemistry and Physics)

Biosoursed and Bioinspired Gels for Biomedical Applications (2nd Edition)

edited by

Guilhem Godeau

submission deadline 20 Jan 2026 | 5 articles | Viewed by 16710 | Submission Open

Keywords: biomacromolecules; hydrogel; low-molecular-weight gelator; 3D printing; drug delivery; self-healing; cell culture

(This special issue belongs to the Section Gel Applications)

Application of Gel Technology in Food Industry and Environmental Engineering (2nd Edition)

edited by

Mihaela Ciopec

and

Cristina Paul

submission deadline 20 Jan 2026 | 6 articles | Viewed by 15399 | Submission Open

Keywords: natural biopolymers; gelling agents; multi-component gels; food applications; sol– gel materials for environmental; electronic; and energy applications; specific pollutant removal techniques; specific materials and system of interest; advanced materials with applications in environmental engineering

(This special issue belongs to the Section Gel Applications)

Recent Advances in Hydrogels for Biomedical Application (2nd Edition)

edited by Kai Liu

submission deadline 20 Jan 2026 | 4 articles | Viewed by 13525 | Submission Open

Keywords: hydrogels; spatiotemporal control; cell culture; tissue engineering; drug delivery; theranostics; biomedical applications

(This special issue belongs to the Section Gel Processing and Engineering)

Hydrogel-Based Flexible Electronics and Devices

edited by

Paul Chesler

Mihai Anastasescu

and

Cristian Hornoiu

submission deadline 20 Jan 2026 | 3 articles | Viewed by 5128 | Submission Open

Keywords: hydrogel applications; flexible devices; flexible electronics; wearable electronics; flexible biosensors; soft robotics

(This special issue belongs to the Section Gel Applications)

Designing Gels for Wound Dressing (2nd Edition)

edited by

Kannan Badri Narayanan

submission deadline 20 Jan 2026 | 3 articles | Viewed by 4532 | Submission Open

Keywords: hydrogels; biopolymers; nanocomposite; antibacterial; wound healing; wound dressing; wound management

(This special issue belongs to the Section Gel Applications)

Hydrogelated Matrices: Structural, Functional and Applicative Aspects (2nd Edition)

edited by

Carlo Diaferia

and

Enrico Gallo

submission deadline 20 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 263 | Submission Open

Keywords: hydrogelated matrices; supramolecular aggregates; peptide-based aggregates; hydrogels formulation and characterization; nanogels formulation and characterization; nanofibers; multicomponent gels; organogels; soft materials; biotechnological applications; supramolecular agents for bioimaging; active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) delivery; surfaces and coating

(This special issue belongs to the Section Gel Chemistry and Physics)

Recent Advances in Aerogels and Aerogel Composites

edited by

Mu Du

, Xianbo Hou and Lin Guo

submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | 6 articles | Viewed by 16409 | Submission Open

Keywords: aerogel; aerogel composites; simulation; preparation and characterization techniques; applications

(This special issue belongs to the Section Gel Analysis and Characterization)

Gels for Removal and Adsorption (3rd Edition)

edited by Shiyang Li,

Zhenxing Fang

and

Daxin Liang

submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | 9 articles | Viewed by 15933 | Submission Open

Keywords: aerogels; hydrogels; membranes; films; adsorbents; removal; environmental science; novel gels; wastewater treatment; microplastic adsorption; drug adsorption/release; environmental catalysis

(This special issue belongs to the Section Gel Applications)

Advances in Hydrogels for Regenerative Medicine

edited by

Martina Lenzuni

and Dongdong Zhou

submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | 6 articles | Viewed by 14125 | Submission Open

Keywords: hydrogels; regenerative medicine; biomaterials; tissue engineering; drug delivery; 3D bioprinting; scaffold design; biocompatibility; stimuli-responsive hydrogels

(This special issue belongs to the Section Gel Processing and Engineering)

Food Gels: Gelling Process and Innovative Applications

edited by

Xinyu Sun

submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | 5 articles | Viewed by 14091 | Submission Open

Keywords: hydrogel; packaging films; edible coatings; emulsions; bio-functionalization; structure and performance regulation; biomaterials

(This special issue belongs to the Section Gel Applications)

Hydrogels, Microgels, and Nanogels: From Fundamentals to Applications (3rd Edition)

edited by

Valentina Nigro

and

Francesca Limosani

submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | 5 articles | Viewed by 8225 | Submission Open

Keywords: hydrogels; microgels; polymers; colloids; synthesis; characterization; applications; swelling; phase behaviour; stimuli-responsive

(This special issue belongs to the Section Gel Analysis and Characterization)

Properties and Applications of Biomaterials Related to Gels (3rd Edition)

edited by

Shige Wang

submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | 7 articles | Viewed by 8107 | Submission Open

Keywords: hydrogel; hemostasis; cell cryopreservation; drug delivery; wound dressing

(This special issue belongs to the Section Gel Applications)

Women’s Special Issue Series: Gels (2nd Edition)

edited by

Ecaterina Stela Dragan

submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | 3 articles | Viewed by 4002 | Submission Open

Keywords: supramolecular materials; nano-structured materials (particles; fibres; colloids; composites); nano- and macroporous materials (aerogels; organogels; metallogels; xerogels; cryogels; hydrogels); functional coatings; thin films; and membranes (including deposition techniques); development and characterization of sol– gel and hybrid materials; modelling; computational tools; and theoretical studies on gels; gel materials for biological and health (medical) applications; polymer gels; protein gels; and self-healing gels; sol– gel and hybrid materials with surface modifications for applications; devices based on sol– gel or hybrid materials; structure; dynamics; kinetics; and equilibrium thermodynamics in gel structures; biomimetic hydrogels as tissue engineering 3D scaffolds for mechanically supporting cells in the engineered tissues; and to simulate the native extracellular matrix

(This special issue belongs to the Section Gel Applications)

Food Gels: Gelling Process and New Applications

edited by Xin Du and

Fangfei Li

submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 3312 | Submission Open

Keywords: muscle food; biopolymers; protein; gelation properties; development of novel food gels

(This special issue belongs to the Section Gel Applications)

State-of-the-Art Food Gels

edited by

Ewa Jakubczyk

and Anna Kaminska-Dworznicka

submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | 3 articles | Viewed by 2436 | Submission Open

Keywords: food gels; starch; oleogels; food hydrocolloids; natural biopolymers; food texture and rheology; functional food; dried gels; aerated gels; gelling agents; 3D printing

(This special issue belongs to the Section Gel Chemistry and Physics)

Hydrogels for Tissue Engineering

edited by

Dezhong Zhou

submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1977 | Submission Open

Keywords: tissue engineering; hydrogel; tissue/organ restoration; biocompatibility; biomedicine

(This special issue belongs to the Section Gel Applications)

Gels for Adsorption and Separation

edited by

Hui Yang

submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 1894 | Submission Open

Keywords: gel materials; adsorption and separation; smart gel; efficiency; capacity; and selectivity; composition and structure of gels

(This special issue belongs to the Section Gel Applications)

Hydrogels for Tissue Repair: Innovations and Applications

edited by Qi Chen

submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 1299 | Submission Open

Keywords: hydrogels; tissue repair; natural cell microenvironment; bone repair; cartilage repair; myocardial repair

(This special issue belongs to the Section Gel Applications)

Recent Developments in Nanocomposite Hydrogels

edited by

Fauze Ahmad Aouada

and

Marcia Regina de Moura Aouada

submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 655 | Submission Open

Keywords: hydrogels; zeolite; nanoclay; nanoparticles; biodegradability; biocompatibility; innovative technology; natural polymers; controlled release; 3D printer

(This special issue belongs to the Section Gel Applications)

Environmentally Friendly Gels

edited by Hang Zhang,

Guiying Tian

and

Jinhui Wang

submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 192 | Submission Open

Keywords: environmentally friendly gels; biodegradable aggregation; synthesis theory; multi-level polymer structures; ion mass transfer

(This special issue belongs to the Section Gel Processing and Engineering)

Gel-Based Novel Wound Dressing (2nd Edition)

edited by

Sonia Kudłacik-Kramarczyk

submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 157 | Submission Open

Keywords: hydrogel dressings; biological characterization; sorption properties; drug release; mechanical characteristics; antimicrobial activity; rheological properties

(This special issue belongs to the Section Gel Applications)

Liposomal and Ethosomal Gels: From Design to Application (2nd Edition)

edited by

Maddalena Sguizzato

and

Rita Cortesi

submission deadline 15 Feb 2026 | 4 articles | Viewed by 15733 | Submission Open

Keywords: liposomes; niosomes; ethosomes; hydrogels; topical application; vesicular gels; formulation; characterization

(This special issue belongs to the Section Gel Processing and Engineering)

Advances in Carbon Gels: From Synthesis to Electrochemical and (Bio)analytical Applications

edited by Ana Casanova and Sébastien Schaefer

submission deadline 15 Feb 2026 | 3 articles | Viewed by 7764 | Submission Open

Keywords: carbon gels; novel synthesis approaches; electrochemical applications; electroanalysis applications

(This special issue belongs to the Section Gel Processing and Engineering)

Cellulose-Based Hydrogels for Advanced Applications

edited by

Diana Elena Ciolacu

submission deadline 15 Feb 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 2384 | Submission Open

Keywords: cellulose; hydrogels; wound dressing; tissue engineering; regenerative medicine; three-dimensional bioprinting; biosensors; cosmetics; environmental applications; food industry; energy storage

(This special issue belongs to the Section Gel Chemistry and Physics)

Design, Fabrication, and Applications of Food Composite Gels

edited by Shima Momen and

Mahsa Majzoobi

submission deadline 20 Feb 2026 | 5 articles | Viewed by 18781 | Submission Open

Keywords: food texture; nutritional benefits; innovative food products; component interactions; hydrogel; protein functionality; plant protein; encapsulation; bioactive compounds; food engineering

(This special issue belongs to the Section Gel Processing and Engineering)

Structured Gels: Mechanics, Responsivity and Applications (2nd Edition)

edited by

Mutian Hua

and Shuwang Wu

submission deadline 20 Feb 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 4092 | Submission Open

Keywords: structure– property relationship; mechanical properties; responsivity; diffusivity; sensitivity; adhesion energy

(This special issue belongs to the Section Gel Analysis and Characterization)

Green Gels—Design, Optimization and Applications in Water Depollution

edited by

Cristina-Gabriela Grigoraș

submission deadline 20 Feb 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 2907 | Submission Open

Keywords: gel formulation; tailored design; water contaminants; eco-friendly water remediation; wastewater treatment optimization

(This special issue belongs to the Section Gel Chemistry and Physics)

Gels with Health-Promoting Properties

edited by

Masumi Kamiyama

and

Tetsuya Adachi

submission deadline 20 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 125 | Submission Open

Keywords: lifestyle-related diseases; diabetes; hypolipidemic; antioxidant; anti-inflammatory; anti-aging; anti-bacterial; anti-fungal; and anti-viral activity; immunomodulatory; polyphenols; hyaluronic acid; gelling agents; nutritional supplements; functional additives; biofilm

(This special issue belongs to the Section Gel Applications)

Innovations in Application of Biofunctional Hydrogels

edited by

Yannan Liu

and

Yingchun Li

submission deadline 25 Feb 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 3991 | Submission Open

Keywords: hydrogel; biofunctional; tissue engineering; biomedical applications; soft electronics; biomaterial

(This special issue belongs to the Section Gel Analysis and Characterization)

Functional Gel Materials: Chemistry, Processing, Mechanical Performance, and Applications

edited by Zhaohan Yu and Xiaolin Qiu

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 6 articles | Viewed by 13277 | Submission Open

Keywords: functional gel materials; gel synthesis; tough hydrogel; biomedical; energy harvesting; elastocaloric polymer; self-healing; flexible electronics

(This special issue belongs to the Section Gel Applications)

Synthesis, Properties, and Applications of Novel Polymer-Based Gels

edited by

Peng Zhang

Yuanxun Zheng

and Zhen Gao

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 10 articles | Viewed by 11330 | Submission Open

Keywords: polymer gels; stimuli-responsive; self-healing; nanocomposite; drug delivery; tissue engineering; soft robotics; wastewater treatment; cementitious matrix; flexible electronics; sustainable packaging; agriculture

(This special issue belongs to the Section Gel Applications)

Cellulose Gels: Properties and Prospective Applications

edited by Xiaopeng Peng

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 5 articles | Viewed by 8403 | Submission Open

Keywords: hydrogels; nanocellulose; cellulose nanocrystals; nanofibrillated cellulose; bacterial nanocellulose; biodegradable; biocompatible

(This special issue belongs to the Section Gel Analysis and Characterization)

Innovative Applications of Gelated Matrices in Biomedical and Environmental Engineering

edited by

and

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 4 articles | Viewed by 7672 | Submission Open

Keywords: gelated matrices; hydrogels; gelation mechanisms; biocompatible gels; drug delivery systems; tissue engineering; wound healing; biosensing; stimuli-responsive gels; multifunctional gels; organogels; gel nanoparticles; gel formulation; nanogels; gel rheology

(This special issue belongs to the Section Gel Applications)

Novel Functional Gels for Biomedical Applications (2nd Edition)

edited by Jilong Wang

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 4 articles | Viewed by 6653 | Submission Open

Keywords: gels; biomimetic gels; drug delivery; inflammatory microenvironment regulation; cancer therapy

(This special issue belongs to the Section Gel Applications)

Stretchable Conductive Hydrogel Materials for Flexible Sensors and Bioelectronics

edited by

Yanchao Mao

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 6098 | Submission Open

Keywords: stretchable conductive hydrogels; flexible sensors; bioelectronic devices; mechanical flexibility; physiological monitoring

(This special issue belongs to the Section Gel Analysis and Characterization)

Recent Advances in Hydrogels for Tissue Engineering Applications

edited by

Olga Kammona

and

Evgenia Tsanaktsidou

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 3 articles | Viewed by 5445 | Submission Open

Keywords: hydrogels; tissue engineering; bioink formulations; 3D bioprinting; cells; biomolecules; polymers; injectable; biomimetic; stimuli-responsive hydrogels

(This special issue belongs to the Section Gel Applications)

Polymeric Hydrogels for Biomedical Application (2nd Edition)

edited by

Ion Cosmin Călina

and

Muhammad Asim Raza

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 5094 | Submission Open

Keywords: polymers; hydrogels; crosslinking; radiation; biocompatibility; drug delivery; wound healing; tissue engineering

(This special issue belongs to the Section Gel Processing and Engineering)

Gels for Efficient Energy Storage and Conversion

edited by

Kun Luo

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 3038 | Submission Open

Keywords: gels; soft materials; energy storage and conversion; batteries; supercapacitors; fuel cells; water electrolysis systems; solar cells; catalysis-driven research

(This special issue belongs to the Section Gel Analysis and Characterization)

State-of-the-Art Gel Research in Italy (2nd Edition)

edited by

Alessandro Moretto

and

Miriam Mba Blázquez

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 2624 | Submission Open

Keywords: gels; supramolecular gels; macromolecular gels; gel-based materials; hydrogels; organogels; metallogels; aerogels; gel composites; functional gels; gel applications

(This special issue belongs to the Section Gel Applications)

Energy Storage and Conductive Gel Polymers

edited by

Thirukumaran Periyasamy

and

Seong-Cheol Kim

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 4 articles | Viewed by 2388 | Submission Open

Keywords: development of gel polymers in energy storage systems; application of gel polymers in energy storage systems; stable gel electrolytes; stretchable; self-healing; and flexible conductive gels; biodegradable and non-toxic conductive gels; hybrid gel materials

(This special issue belongs to the Section Gel Applications)

Designing Gels as Adsorbents and Catalysts

edited by

Michael Arkas

Ioannis Pashalidis

Ioannis Anastopoulos

Dimitrios Giannakoudakis

and

Ioannis Ioannidis

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1723 | Submission Open

Keywords: water purification; catalysis ; catalytic decomposition ; air detoxification; recovery; adsorption ; composite gels

(This special issue belongs to the Section Gel Applications)

Recent Research on Gel Rheology, Flow, Atomization and Combustion

edited by Hui Zhao and Haifeng Liu

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1590 | Submission Open

Keywords: gels; semi solid; yield stress; viscoelasticity; atomization and sprays; ignition and combustion

(This special issue belongs to the Section Gel Chemistry and Physics)

Recent Progress of Hydrogel Sensors and Biosensors (2nd Edition)

edited by

María-José Bañuls

María Isabel Lucío

and

Ángel Maquieira

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1395 | Submission Open

Keywords: hydrogel; sensors; biosensors; stimuli-responsive; wearable; point of care

(This special issue belongs to the Section Gel Applications)

Hydrogels for Food Safety and Sensing Applications

edited by Yufeng Sun and

Dirk Kuckling

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 487 | Submission Open

Keywords: novel hydrogels; sensors; detection; food safety; smart packaging; stimuli-responsive materials

(This special issue belongs to the Section Gel Applications)

Hydrogels: Promising Biomaterials for Tissue Engineering

edited by

David Mills

and

Fabio Falleroni

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 169 | Submission Open

Keywords: hydrogels; tissue engineering; mechanotransduction; extracellular matrix; biomaterials; stem cell differentiation; mechnical cues

(This special issue belongs to the Section Gel Chemistry and Physics)

Global Excellence in Bioactive Gels (2nd Edition)

edited by

Yoshitaka Miyamoto

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 154 | Submission Open

Keywords: bioactive gels; natural polymers; synthetic polymers; gel properties; sol– gel method; gel membrane; drug delivery system (DDS); regenerative therapy; biosensor; application of gels

(This special issue belongs to the Section Gel Analysis and Characterization)

Recent Advances in Graphene-Based Aerogels

edited by Dianpeng Sui and

Duckjong Kim

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 151 | Submission Open

Keywords: graphene-based aerogels; synthesis methods; energy storage; environmental applications; biomedical applications

(This special issue belongs to the Section Gel Applications)

Bio-Integrated Smart Hydrogels: Self-Assembled Matrices with Fluorescent Moiety for Diagnostics and Therapy

edited by

Mingrui Liao

and

Paula M. T. Ferreira