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Gels
Special Issues
Advancing Green Chemistry in Hydrogel Development: Design, Synthesis, and Characterization
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Advancing Green Chemistry in Hydrogel Development: Design, Synthesis, and Characterization

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2025) | Viewed by 6398

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Pietro Matricardi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Faculty of Pharmacy and Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy
Interests: polysaccharide; hydrogels; nanohydrogels; drug delivery; tissue engineering
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Njomza Ajvazi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Physical and Organic Chemistry, Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Interests: organic chemistry; catalysis; hydrogels; green chemistry

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Recent studies have highlighted a growing interest in hydrogels. This is due to their remarkable properties, which include their high water content, porosity, and flexibility, rendering them highly promising in a variety of biomedical applications. These three-dimensional polymeric networks, either physically or chemically cross-linked, possess hydrophilic properties that enable them to absorb and retain water and biological fluids. These polymeric mixtures play a significant role in diverse applications such as wound healing, contact lenses, implant coating, drug delivery, tissue engineering, agriculture, bio-sensors, and various hygiene products. Choosing naturally derived cross-linking agents not only ensures the safety of biomedical applications but also contributes to both scientific and environmental goals for medical advancement. Consequently, in this Special Issue, we aim to collect studies on “Advancing Green Chemistry in Hydrogel Development: Design, Synthesis, and Characterization". We welcome investigations into synthesizing eco-friendly hydrogel compounds, particularly utilizing biodegradable and biocompatible materials.

Prof. Dr. Pietro Matricardi
Dr. Njomza Ajvazi
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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
  • biomolecules
  • natural polymers
  • biocompatibility
  • biodegradability
  • green chemistry

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 60566 KB  
Article
Lysozyme Functionalized Alginate-Chitosan Beads and Films for Different Release Applications
by Beatriz Moutinho, Natalia Pyra, Zuzanna Styrna, Maria Emilia Rosa and Maria H. L. Ribeiro
Gels 2026, 12(1), 66; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels12010066 - 11 Jan 2026
Viewed by 569
Abstract
The main goal of this work was to develop nanoparticles of lysozyme (Lys) for biological and biomedical applications. The developed biosystems were based on Lys-loaded calcium alginate 2% and chitosan 1% beads and films with different concentrations of each polymer. Encapsulation efficiency was [...] Read more.
The main goal of this work was to develop nanoparticles of lysozyme (Lys) for biological and biomedical applications. The developed biosystems were based on Lys-loaded calcium alginate 2% and chitosan 1% beads and films with different concentrations of each polymer. Encapsulation efficiency was 100%. The ratio of adsorbed Lys on the films, Lys activity, and the release profile of Lys were measured using water and buffer solution at pH similar to the environment of cancer cells, at a controlled temperature of 37 °C and a constant speed, to assess the efficacy of the encapsulation process. Lys antimicrobial activity was assessed using Micrococcus lysodeikticus. Moreover, the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of the developed biosystems were also evaluated. The anti-inflammatory activity of Lys released from calcium alginate 2%-chitosan 1% beads loaded with Lys was about 99%. These findings highlight the potential of the developed beads and films for biomedical applications, particularly in antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory therapies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advancing Green Chemistry in Hydrogel Development: Design, Synthesis, and Characterization)
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22 pages, 12049 KB  
Article
Biodegradable and Mechanically Resilient Recombinant Collagen/PEG/Catechol Cryogel Hemostat for Deep Non-Compressible Hemorrhage and Wound Healing
by Yuanzhe Zhang, Tianyu Yao, Ru Xu, Pei Ma, Jing Zhao and Yu Mi
Gels 2025, 11(6), 445; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels11060445 - 10 Jun 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2211
Abstract
Traumatic non-compressible hemorrhage and subsequent wound management remain critical challenges in military and civilian settings to this day. Cryogels have emerged as promising hemostatic materials for non-compressible hemorrhage due to their blood-triggered shape recovery. In this study, a biodegradable and mechanically resilient cryogel [...] Read more.
Traumatic non-compressible hemorrhage and subsequent wound management remain critical challenges in military and civilian settings to this day. Cryogels have emerged as promising hemostatic materials for non-compressible hemorrhage due to their blood-triggered shape recovery. In this study, a biodegradable and mechanically resilient cryogel (CF/PD) was produced via cryopolymerization, employing methacrylated recombinant collagen as a macromolecular crosslinker alongside poly (ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) and dopamine methacrylate (DMA). With its interpenetrating macro-porous structure and high hydrophilicity, the CF/PD rapidly absorbs blood and returns to its original shape within 1.5 s. In a rat liver defect model, CF/PD outperformed commercially available gelatin sponges, reducing hemostasis time by 74.4% and blood loss by 76.5%. Moreover, CF/PD cryogels facilitate in situ tissue regeneration by virtue of the bioactivity and degradability of recombinant collagen. This work establishes a bioactive recombinant collagen-driven cryogel platform, offering a transformative solution for managing non-compressible hemorrhage while enabling tissue regeneration. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advancing Green Chemistry in Hydrogel Development: Design, Synthesis, and Characterization)
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12 pages, 2118 KB  
Article
Natural Bletilla striata Polysaccharide-Based Hydrogels for Accelerating Hemostasis
by Hui-Fang Lin, Yue-Yue Wang, Feng-Zhen Liu, Zi-Wei Yang, Hao Cui, Si-Yu Hu, Feng-He Li and Pei Pan
Gels 2025, 11(1), 48; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels11010048 - 8 Jan 2025
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2638
Abstract
Most of the existing hydrogel dressings have inadequacies in mechanical performance, biological activities, compatibility, or versatility, which results in the development of rapid, green, and cost-effective approaches for hydrogels in biochemical and biomedical applications becoming a top-priority task. Herein, inspired by the inherent [...] Read more.
Most of the existing hydrogel dressings have inadequacies in mechanical performance, biological activities, compatibility, or versatility, which results in the development of rapid, green, and cost-effective approaches for hydrogels in biochemical and biomedical applications becoming a top-priority task. Herein, inspired by the inherent bioactivity, water retention properties, and biocompatibility of natural polysaccharide hydrogels, we have prepared self-healing gels. Using Bletilla striata polysaccharide (BSP), carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS), and borax via borate ester linkages, we created hemostatic and self-healing Chinese herbal medicine hydrogels in varying concentrations (2.5%, 3.0%, and 4.0%). A rotational rheometer was used to describe the hydrogels’ shape and rheological characteristics. At all concentrations, it was found that the hydrogels’ elastic modulus (G′) consistently and significantly outperformed their viscous modulus (G″), suggesting a robust internal structure. All of the hydrogels had cell viability levels as high as 100% and hemolysis rates below 1%, indicating the hydrogels’ outstanding biocompatibility. Furthermore, the hydrogels demonstrated superior hemostatic qualities in an in vivo mouse tail amputation model, as well as in in vitro coagulation tests. The results show that the hydrogel possesses excellent self-healing properties, as well as a good biocompatibility and hemostatic performance, thus paving the way for the development of a potential hemostatic green hydrogel. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advancing Green Chemistry in Hydrogel Development: Design, Synthesis, and Characterization)
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