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Gels
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Advances and Current Applications in Gel-Based Membranes
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Advances and Current Applications in Gel-Based Membranes

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 August 2025 | Viewed by 9977

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Roxana Gabriela Zgârian

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnologies, University Politehnica of Bucharest, 011061 Bucharest, Romania
Interests: biomaterials synthesis; gel-based membranes; biomedical applications; electrochromic devices; membranes with immobilized enzymes; chemical kinetics, nonlinear optics, wettability test, ions release ICP-MS, applied spectroscopy: IR, UV-VIS; environmental biotechnology; antimicrobial activity; cleaning of clinical wastewaters
Dr. Graţiela Teodora Tihan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Departamentul de General Chemistry, Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnologies, University Politehnica of Bucharest, 011061 Bucharest, Romania
Interests: biopolymers in tissue engineering; gel-based membranes; electrochromic smart windows; physical–chemical characterization of materials and nanocomposites; controlled drug delivery systems; biomaterials with applications in photonics; environmental biotechnology; antimicrobial activity; enzymatic degradation; macromolecular compounds chemistry
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

As Guest Editors of a Gels Special Issue entitled “Advances and Current Applications in Gel-Based Membranes”, we are pleased to invite you to contribute your manuscripts on this topic.

Gels, known as a connected ‘colloidal scale’, are usually prepared as stable membranes, sponges, films, or fibers. In recent decades, due to the remarkable benefits that gels can provide, scientific research on novel gel-based membranes has increased, attracting interest for a wide range of applications such as delivery systems, tissue engineering, and environmental protection. The essential properties of the membranes can be controlled by the use/incorporation of certain natural polymers, plant extracts, antibacterial agents, or nanoparticles, thus resulting in completely different cytotoxicity, biodegradability, antimicrobial, or mechanical properties.

The purpose of this Special Issue is to summarize advances in the functionality of gel-based membranes for high-tech applications, including but not limited to delivery systems, tissue engineering applications, or environmental protection and remediation. Both original research papers and reviews are welcome.

Dr. Roxana Gabriela Zgârian
Dr. Graţiela Teodora Tihan
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

  • functional gel-based membranes
  • gel-based membranes with added extract plants for biomedical applications
  • gel-based membranes for environmental protection
  • delivery systems
  • water process technologies
  • water harvesting
  • biocompatibility
  • biodegradability

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 2718 KiB  
Article
Ionic Crosslinked Hydrogel Films for Immediate Decontamination of Chemical Warfare Agents
by Gabriela Toader, Raluca-Elena Ginghina, Adriana Elena Bratu, Alice Ionela Podaru, Daniela Pulpea, Traian Rotariu, Ana Mihaela Gavrilă and Aurel Diacon
Gels 2024, 10(7), 428; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels10070428 - 28 Jun 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1820
Abstract
This study describes the development of hydrogel formulations with ionic crosslinking capacity and photocatalytic characteristics. The objective of this research is to provide an effective, accessible, “green”, and facile route for the decontamination of chemical warfare agents (CWAs, namely the blistering agent—mustard gas/sulfur [...] Read more.
This study describes the development of hydrogel formulations with ionic crosslinking capacity and photocatalytic characteristics. The objective of this research is to provide an effective, accessible, “green”, and facile route for the decontamination of chemical warfare agents (CWAs, namely the blistering agent—mustard gas/sulfur mustard (HD)) from contaminated surfaces, by decomposition and entrapment of CWAs and their degradation products inside the hydrogel films generated “on-site”. The decontamination of the notorious warfare agent HD was successfully achieved through a dual hydrolytic–photocatalytic degradation process. Subsequently, the post-decontamination residues were encapsulated within a hydrogel membrane film produced via an ionic crosslinking mechanism. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and sodium alginate (ALG) are the primary constituents of the decontaminating formulations. These polymeric components were chosen for this application due to their cost-effectiveness, versatility, and their ability to form hydrogen bonds, facilitating hydrogel formation. In the presence of divalent metallic ions, ALG undergoes ionic crosslinking, resulting in rapid gelation. This facilitated prompt PVA-ALG film curing and allowed for immediate decontamination of targeted surfaces. Additionally, bentonite nanoclay, titanium nanoparticles, and a tetrasulfonated nickel phthalocyanine (NiPc) derivative were incorporated into the formulations to enhance absorption capacity, improve mechanical properties, and confer photocatalytic activity to the hydrogels obtained via Zn2+—mediated ionic crosslinking. The resulting hydrogels underwent characterization using a variety of analytical techniques, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), viscometry, and mechanical analysis (shear, tensile, and compression tests), as well as swelling investigations, to establish the optimal formulations for CWA decontamination applications. The introduction of the fillers led to an increase in the maximum strain up to 0.14 MPa (maximum tensile resistance) and 0.39 MPa (maximum compressive stress). The UV-Vis characterization of the hydrogels allowed the determination of the band-gap value and absorption domain. A gas chromatography–mass spectrometry assay was employed to evaluate the decontamination efficacy for a chemical warfare agent (sulfur mustard—HD) and confirmed that the ionic crosslinked hydrogel films achieved decontamination efficiencies of up to 92.3%. Furthermore, the presence of the photocatalytic species can facilitate the degradation of up to 90% of the HD removed from the surface and entrapped inside the hydrogel matrix, which renders the post-decontamination residue significantly less dangerous. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances and Current Applications in Gel-Based Membranes)
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19 pages, 5516 KiB  
Article
Three-Dimensional Membranes of Natural Polymer Complex Nanoparticle for Potential Medical Applications
by Mariela Elgegren, Javier Nakamatsu, Betty Galarreta and Suyeon Kim
Gels 2023, 9(11), 847; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels9110847 - 26 Oct 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1889
Abstract
Skin wound healing is a complex biological process of tissue regeneration in which the wound dressing is crucial for rapid healing; it must protect the wound keep an adequate level of moisture and prevent infections. Alginate (AL), a polysaccharide from brown algae, has [...] Read more.
Skin wound healing is a complex biological process of tissue regeneration in which the wound dressing is crucial for rapid healing; it must protect the wound keep an adequate level of moisture and prevent infections. Alginate (AL), a polysaccharide from brown algae, has been extensively studied for wound treatment, and aloe vera gels (AVGs) have also been used in the treatment of skin. The AVG main bioactive polysaccharide was combined with AL for the preparation of membranes. Two-dimensional membranes were prepared by casting and, for comparison, transparent nanoparticle 3D membranes were produced by high-intensity ultrasonication followed by ionotropic crosslinking. The effects of the amount of AVG, ionotropic gelation, and the structure (2D or 3D) of the AL-AVG membranes were compared. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed higher surface roughness on 3D membranes. Three-dimensional membranes showed a higher swelling ratio, and swelling increased with AVG content and decreased with higher calcium concentration and longer gelation times. The degradation of the membranes was evaluated with and without a lysozyme at pH 5.5, 7.5, and 8.5, to simulate different skin conditions; the results evidence that pH had a higher effect than the enzyme. The cytotoxicity of the membranes was evaluated with ATCC CCL 163 and ATCC CCL 81 cells, and an excellent biocompatibility of both cell types (>90% of cell viability after 48 h incubation) was observed for all AL-AVG membranes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances and Current Applications in Gel-Based Membranes)
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14 pages, 2459 KiB  
Article
Glucose Sensor Using Sol–Gel Coating Layer Deposited on PMMA Optical Fiber: An Enzyme Activity Measurement System
by Jorge-A. Ortega-Contreras, Edgar Alvarado-Méndez, Guillermo Almanza-Rodríguez, María del Carmen Hernández and Luis Celaya-García
Gels 2023, 9(8), 608; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels9080608 - 27 Jul 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1775
Abstract
In the present work, a biocatalytic glucose optical sensor produced by immobilizing glucose oxidase (GOD) as a recognition molecule over a PMMA (polymethylmethacrylate) optical fiber is introduced. An enzymatic encapsulation process was carried out using the sol–gel method, depositing a TEOS-based coating by [...] Read more.
In the present work, a biocatalytic glucose optical sensor produced by immobilizing glucose oxidase (GOD) as a recognition molecule over a PMMA (polymethylmethacrylate) optical fiber is introduced. An enzymatic encapsulation process was carried out using the sol–gel method, depositing a TEOS-based coating by immersion at the end of an optical fiber; the biosensor was characterized using different glucose levels. Finally, the best way to encapsulate the enzyme and prevent it from degrading is to perform the process at room temperature, and later implement the deposition of the coating on the fiber. The drying process was optimal below 8 °C. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances and Current Applications in Gel-Based Membranes)
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Review

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23 pages, 1367 KiB  
Review
State-of-the-Art Advances and Current Applications of Gel-Based Membranes
by Camelia Ungureanu, Silviu Răileanu, Roxana Zgârian, Grațiela Tihan and Cristian Burnei
Gels 2024, 10(1), 39; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels10010039 - 1 Jan 2024
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3622
Abstract
Gel-based membranes, a fusion of polymer networks and liquid components, have emerged as versatile tools in a variety of technological domains thanks to their unique structural and functional attributes. Historically rooted in basic filtration tasks, recent advancements in synthetic strategies have increased the [...] Read more.
Gel-based membranes, a fusion of polymer networks and liquid components, have emerged as versatile tools in a variety of technological domains thanks to their unique structural and functional attributes. Historically rooted in basic filtration tasks, recent advancements in synthetic strategies have increased the mechanical strength, selectivity, and longevity of these membranes. This review summarizes their evolution, emphasizing breakthroughs that have positioned them at the forefront of cutting-edge applications. They have the potential for desalination and pollutant removal in water treatment processes, delivering efficiency that often surpasses conventional counterparts. The biomedical field has embraced them for drug delivery and tissue engineering, capitalizing on their biocompatibility and tunable properties. Additionally, their pivotal role in energy storage as gel electrolytes in batteries and fuel cells underscores their adaptability. However, despite monumental progress in gel-based membrane research, challenges persist, particularly in scalability and long-term stability. This synthesis provides an overview of the state-of-the-art applications of gel-based membranes and discusses potential strategies to overcome current limitations, laying the foundation for future innovations in this dynamic field. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances and Current Applications in Gel-Based Membranes)
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