Functional Hydrogels: Innovative Approaches and Advanced Applications
A special issue of Gels (ISSN 2310-2861). This special issue belongs to the section "Gel Applications".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 January 2027 | Viewed by 165
Special Issue Editors
Interests: cellulose; lignin; polysaccharides; nanocellulose; hydrogels; aerogels; nanomaterials; biomaterials; drug release; wound dressing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: hydrogels; modified polysaccharides; nanogels; drug delivery
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Functional hydrogels are three-dimensional networks formed by one or more natural or synthetic polymers. Cross-linked with each other, they exhibit exceptional water absorption and retention capacities. They have found numerous uses in biomedical applications (tissue engineering, wound dressings, drug delivery systems, etc.), wastewater purification (removing organic and inorganic pollutants), the food industry, and agriculture. The use of synthetic polymers in the preparation of hydrogels gives them greater durability and increased gel strength, while natural polymers confer biocompatibility and biodegradability. To design improved properties (high mechanical strength, high porosity, elasticity, in situ gelation, high water-binding capacity, etc.) or to introduce favorable functions, both synthetic and natural polymers are often modified.
This Special Issue aims to provide an overview of the broad spectrum of applications of functional hydrogels, focusing on the innovative approaches of their preparation, highlighting their superior properties and the advantages of using hydrogels as alternative technologies for leading applications.
Dr. Diana Elena Ciolacu
Dr. Alina Gabriela Rusu
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.
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Keywords
- natural polymers
- synthetic polymers
- hydrogels
- biomaterials
- biocompatibility
- drug delivery
- tissue engineering
- wound healing
- 3D bioprinting
- wastewater treatment
- food packaging
- environmental applications
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