Alginate-Based Gels: Preparation, Characterization and Application (3rd Edition)

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2026 | Viewed by 658

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Separation Membranes and Membrane Processes, National Center for International Joint Research on Separation Membranes, School of Material Science and Engineering, Tiangong University, Tianjin 300387, China
Interests: alginate hydrogel; alginate composite material; filtration membrane; adsorption and separation; protein molecular imprinting
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue, ‘Alginate-Based Gels: Preparation, Characterization and Application (3rd Edition)’, is dedicated to recent theoretical and fundamental developments of the synthesis, characterization, and applications of alginate-based gels. Within this context, a broad range of subjects, including structure and characterization, molecular modeling and simulation, and applications, will be discussed.

Under the severe depletion of petrochemical resources and the requirements of carbon neutralization, it is urgent to develop new materials for sustainable development. Alginate is a natural polysaccharide extracted from algae. Alginate presents high biocompatibility, low toxicity, and ease of gelation by addition of divalent cations such as Ca2+. Alginate gel is widely used in food, medical, tissue engineering, daily chemical, textile, printing, dyeing, biotechnology, and wastewater treatment. It can be used to produce ice cream, beverages, food, adhesives, thickeners, slow-release materials, medical dressing, dental materials, facial masks, printing paste, water treatment agents, welding rods, paper additives, and other products.

As a natural polymer, alginate has a complex and changeable structure and molecular weight distribution. Owing to the complexity of the interactions in alginate gel, an understanding of these materials has been slow to develop, despite the importance of alginate gels. Alginate gel mostly has low mechanical strength. Mechanical damage easily occurs during the use process, and the performance of the gel is greatly reduced after being damaged. Progress in this field requires an interdisciplinary effort to accomplish a more detailed understanding of the structure and interactions that define the behavior of complex polyelectrolyte systems, and makes it possible to tailor the properties of these materials. It is anticipated that the included papers will stimulate new research and discoveries in the field of alginate gels.

Dr. Cheng Hu
Prof. Dr. Kongyin Zhao
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • alginate hydrogel
  • alginate gel
  • alginate composite material
  • synthesis and characterization of alginate
  • applications of alginate
  • theory and Simulation of alginate

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

14 pages, 2356 KB  
Article
The Influence of Cations and Host–Guest Interactions on Alginate Gels Properties
by Gabriela Ioniță, Carmen Mihaela Topală, Elena-Erika Antonia, Mihaela Lavinia Ciutu, Alexandru Gabriel Bucur, Nusa Elena Hristea, Rodica Baratoiu, Ludmila Aricov, Anca Ruxandra Leonties and Carla-Cezarina Pădurețu
Gels 2026, 12(3), 217; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels12030217 - 6 Mar 2026
Viewed by 425
Abstract
Ionotropic alginate-based hydrogelation by divalent metal interaction has been employed to study the effect that different types of ions might have on gel formation. In this regard, EPR and IR spectroscopies, as well as rheology techniques, have been used to evaluate the influence [...] Read more.
Ionotropic alginate-based hydrogelation by divalent metal interaction has been employed to study the effect that different types of ions might have on gel formation. In this regard, EPR and IR spectroscopies, as well as rheology techniques, have been used to evaluate the influence of divalent cations on gel formation, and at the same time to assess host–guest interactions. Alginate was functionalized with TEMPO moieties; therefore, TEMPO-alginate system was taken as a reference. The novelty of this study consists of using a mixture of adamantyl-TEMPO-functionalized alginate and β-cyclodextrin linked through 1,3-diaminopropane to assess the host–guest interactions in functionalized gels. The properties of divalent cations considered in this study (Ba2+, Ca2+, Sr2+, Zn2+) were proven by changes in spectral parameters of paramagnetic moieties, while the viscoelastic moduli as functions of shear strain and frequency were evaluated through rheology measurements. Overall, the information obtained from these investigations has shown that the properties of the alginate gels are influenced both by the type of divalent cation used for complexation and by the host–guest interactions. The results show that the type of the cation significantly affects gel strength; therefore, Ba2+ forms the strongest gel, while Zn2+ the least resistant. Additionally, a high immobilization of the spin-labeled probes has been obtained by the addition of tosylated β-cyclodextrin in the alginate gel network containing Ba2+ ions. Full article
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