Composite Gel Systems: Materials, Formation Behaviors and Functional Food Packaging Applications
A special issue of Gels (ISSN 2310-2861). This special issue belongs to the section "Gel Applications".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 48
Special Issue Editors
Interests: gels; structure-function-application of polysaccharides; macromolecular interaction; oil droplets and extraction; food digestion and absorption
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Gels derived from green, edible biopolymers, such as polysaccharides and proteins, have gained increasing attention due to their biodegradability, safety, and tunable physicochemical properties. Composite gel-based functional materials for sustainable and functional food packaging applications are becoming a hotspot in research. Recent studies on composite functional films have focused on integrating multiple functionalities—including antimicrobial, antioxidant, barrier, and intelligent sensing mechanisms—into single edible or biodegradable gel matrices. Researchers are actively exploring interpenetrating polymer networks and multi-component delivery systems to improve the mechanical performance, environmental stability, and bioactivity of composite functional films in food preservation. However, some challenges remain, such as insufficient mechanical properties of functional membranes, the poor long-term stability of active ingredients, unstable release kinetics, and incomplete understanding of the gel formation mechanism and structure–function relationship in multiphase composite systems.
This Special Issue welcomes research exploring the formation mechanisms of composite gels, structure–function relationships, and the encapsulation and controlled release of active ingredients. Studies addressing multi-layer film architectures, stimulus-responsive behavior, and novel processing strategies (e.g., electrospinning, layer-by-layer assembly, 3D printing) are highly encouraged.
Dr. Juncai Tu
Dr. Jun Guo
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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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.
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Keywords
- green edible biopolymers
- composite film structure and function
- gel formation mechanism
- structure–activity relationship
- active ingredient delivery systems
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