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Gels
Special Issues
Advanced Synthesis, Functionalization, and Applications of Biomass Hydrogels
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Advanced Synthesis, Functionalization, and Applications of Biomass Hydrogels

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 November 2026 | Viewed by 3273

Editor

Prof. Dr. Daochen Zhu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Biofuels Institute, School of Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
Interests: lignin-based hydrogels; microorganism resource; lignin biodegradation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Biomass-derived polymers such as lignin, cellulose, chitosan, alginate, and starch are abundant, renewable, and sustainable resources with great potential for hydrogel development. Biomass hydrogels combine biocompatibility, biodegradability, and multifunctionality, making them highly attractive for applications in biomedicine, agriculture, food, energy, and environmental remediation.

This Special Issue aims to showcase the latest progress in the synthesis, structural regulation, properties, and applications of biomass-based hydrogels, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and promoting sustainable innovation.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Green synthesis and functionalization strategies for biomass hydrogels (e.g., chemical, enzymatic, and physical crosslinking; nanocomposites; hybrid systems).
  • Structure–property relationships and performance optimization (e.g., mechanical, rheological, swelling, stimuli-responsive, and self-healing properties).
  • Biomedical, agricultural, food, energy, and environmental applications of biomass hydrogels (e.g., drug delivery, tissue engineering, smart fertilizers, water retention, food packaging, bioactive compound release, energy storage, pollutant adsorption).
  • Sustainable manufacturing, scalability, and industrial translation of biomass hydrogels (e.g., biodegradability, recycling, eco-friendly production, cost-effectiveness).

We welcome original research articles and reviews highlighting recent advances in biomass hydrogel science and technology.

Prof. Dr. Daochen Zhu
Guest Editor

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-anonymized 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

  • lignin hydrogels
  • functional biomaterials
  • structure–performance regulation
  • sustainable polymers
  • multifunctional applications

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 2891 KB  
Article
Preparation of Sustainable Alginate/Chitosan Blend Films by Thermo-Compression for Diverse Applications
by Yodthong Baimark, Prasong Srihanam, Theeraphol Phromsopha and Nuanchai Khotsaeng
Gels 2026, 12(1), 63; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels12010063 - 9 Jan 2026
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 933
Abstract
In this work, sodium alginate/chitosan (SA/CS) blend films were prepared by thermo-compression for the first time. Glycerol and lactic acid were used as de-structuring agents for SA and CS, respectively. The chemical structures, thermal stability, phase morphology, mechanical properties, water resistance, film opacity, [...] Read more.
In this work, sodium alginate/chitosan (SA/CS) blend films were prepared by thermo-compression for the first time. Glycerol and lactic acid were used as de-structuring agents for SA and CS, respectively. The chemical structures, thermal stability, phase morphology, mechanical properties, water resistance, film opacity, film color, and soil burial test of thermo-compressed SA/CS films were investigated. The results indicate that intermolecular interactions in polyelectrolyte complexes in SA/CS blends were detected. Blending with CS improved the thermal stability of SA-based films. The SA/CS films showed excellent phase compatibility between SA and CS. The addition of CS improved the tensile properties of the SA-based films. The incorporation of CS in SA films resulted in enhanced water resistance and opacity and a decrease in biodegradability under soil burial. Thermo-compressed SA/CS films show promise for development and increased production capacity. These films can be tailored by varying the SA/CS ratios to display different properties. This versatility makes them suitable for a range of sustainable and diverse applications, including wound dressing, drug delivery, biosorbents, and packaging. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Synthesis, Functionalization, and Applications of Biomass Hydrogels)
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18 pages, 3298 KB  
Article
Comparative Analysis of Physicochemical Properties and Biocompatibility of Biomass-Derived and Fossil-Derived Polyvinyl Alcohol Hydrogels: Material Screening for Wound Dressing Applications
by Shanshan Wang, Yun Liu, Han Li, An Xu and Wenqing Liu
Gels 2026, 12(1), 6; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels12010006 - 21 Dec 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 925
Abstract
As one of the most widely used synthetic polymer materials globally, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) has exhibited promising application potential, especially in the field of wound dressing. Biomass-derived PVA was successfully developed to address the challenges of non-renewable resource depletion and environmental health risks [...] Read more.
As one of the most widely used synthetic polymer materials globally, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) has exhibited promising application potential, especially in the field of wound dressing. Biomass-derived PVA was successfully developed to address the challenges of non-renewable resource depletion and environmental health risks associated with traditional fossil-derived PVA production. However, a knowledge gap still exists regarding the differences between biomass-derived and fossil-derived PVA in terms of their physicochemical and biocompatible properties for wound dressing. This study demonstrated that biomass-derived PVA not only retained the favorable biosafety of conventional PVA (exhibiting no cytotoxicity across multiple cell lines and no induction of inflammatory factors), but also exhibited superior physicochemical properties essential for wound dressing without adding other chemical reagents. Specifically, the light transmittance of biomass-derived PVA hydrogel (>85%) significantly exceeded that of fossil-derived counterparts, highlighting its advantage for wound dressing. Furthermore, the adhesion force of biomass-derived PVA hydrogel to porcine skin was approximately four times that of fossil-derived PVA hydrogel, and the biomass-derived hydrogel exhibited superior drug-loading capacity and more efficient sustained drug release. These findings strongly validated the benefits and applicability of biomass-derived PVA in wound dressing, especially for addressing complex wounds necessitating both physical defense and drug-based intervention. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Synthesis, Functionalization, and Applications of Biomass Hydrogels)
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15 pages, 2097 KB  
Article
Response Surface Methodology Optimization of Electron-Beam-Irradiated Carboxymethyl Cellulose/Citric Acid-Based Hydrogels
by Sa Rang Choi and Jung Myoung Lee
Gels 2025, 11(11), 928; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels11110928 - 19 Nov 2025
Viewed by 826
Abstract
Electron beam irradiation (EBI) is an environmentally friendly cross-linking technique that can form covalent bonds between natural polymers without the use of chemical cross-linkers. In this study, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC; 3000 cPs) and citric acid (CA) were used to prepare hydrogels under low-dose [...] Read more.
Electron beam irradiation (EBI) is an environmentally friendly cross-linking technique that can form covalent bonds between natural polymers without the use of chemical cross-linkers. In this study, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC; 3000 cPs) and citric acid (CA) were used to prepare hydrogels under low-dose EBI conditions (7 kGy). The effects of composition variables were statistically analyzed using response surface methodology based on central composite design. The concentrations of CMC (4–14 wt%) and CA (1–4 wt%) were selected as independent variables, while the gel fraction, water absorption, and elastic modulus were employed as responses. Analysis of variance confirmed that the quadratic models were statistically significant (p < 0.05) with a high predictive reliability (R2 = 0.91–0.98). Statistical validation demonstrated that the residuals were normally distributed and that all data fell within the 95% prediction interval, verifying the robustness of the model. Multi-response optimization identified an optimal composition of 8.88 wt% CMC and 0.03 wt% CA, yielding a predicted gel fraction of 88.7%, water absorption of 256 g/g, and modulus of 2273 Pa. The extended condition (CMC 9.12 wt%, CA 2.17 × 10−7 wt%) achieved similar absorbency with a ~9% higher modulus. This study established a reliable predictive model correlating the composition and properties of EBI-induced CMC–CA hydrogels, providing a foundation for optimizing eco-friendly hydrogel processes and scaling them up in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Synthesis, Functionalization, and Applications of Biomass Hydrogels)
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