Soft Materials with a Focus on Hydrogels

Dear Colleagues,

This Issue covers a variety of research topics related to hydrogels, including their synthesis, characterization, properties, and their use in advanced applications such as drug delivery, tissue engineering, bioelectronics and soft robotics. While significant progress has been made in the development of hydrogels over the years, several challenges remain due to their high complexities in molecular interactions. These pressing issues range from preparation, processing, and characterization to practical application. For example, there is a lack of control over their mechanical, electronic, and optical properties, as well as biocompatibility and stability, which are determined by various factors such as their chemical composition, crosslinking density, and micro- and nanostructures. Designing hydrogels with specific mechanical properties requires a deep understanding of the underlying chemistry and physics of hydrogel formation.

As it is impossible to cover all aspects of hydrogel in one issue, this Special Issue will contain only a few representative examples, illustrating the complexities of the hydrogel problem. We hope that these topics will provide researchers with valuable insights into gel analysis and new ideas for the development of innovative hydrogel-based materials and technologies.

Sincerely,

Dr. Bowen Yao
Guest Editor

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