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Gels
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Gels for Energy Applications
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Gels for Energy Applications

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 7472

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Panpan Zhao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Materials and Interfaces, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
Interests: gels; bio-based materials; phase change materials; energy storage/release
Dr. Miguel Sanchez-Soto

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department Materials Science and Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya-Barcelona Tech (UPC), Escola d’Enginyeria de Barcelona Est (EEBE), Campus Diagonal-Besòs, Av. D’Eduard Maristany, 16, 08019 Barcelona, Spain
Interests: polymer-based and composite aerogels; bio-based materials; recycling and recovery; flame retardancy; mechanical properties; fracture behaviour
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue aims to provide a comprehensive collection of works on recent advances and developments in smart gels and biomaterials applied to the energy harvesting/storage fields. Its relevant research topics include all gels and bio-based materials, including polymer gels, supramolecular gels, organic/inorganic hybrid gels, aerogel, etc.

Energy, the lifeblood of industry, propels the wheels of progress in our society. Yet, this surge in energy consumption has sparked concerns over both an impending energy crisis and environmental degradation. Consequently, there has been a global surge in interest towards energy conversion and storage, with a particular focus on gels and biomaterials. These materials offer versatile avenues for storing energy in a myriad of forms: chemical, mechanical, electrical, or thermal.

Gels and bio-based materials have emerged as pivotal players in various energy storage technologies, notably in the realms of thermal regulation, batteries, and supercapacitors. Their significance lies in their ability to address safety concerns, enhance performance, and foster innovative designs within these technologies.

Current research endeavors are dedicated to exploring novel gel formulations and applications, aiming to further bolster energy storage systems. As the imperative for clean and sustainable energy amplifies, energy storage assumes an increasingly critical role in facilitating the transition towards a more resilient and renewable-based energy paradigm.

Dr. Panpan Zhao
Dr. Miguel Sanchez-Soto
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.

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

  • gels
  • bio-based materials
  • phase change materials
  • energy storage/release
  • thermal management

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 2416 KB  
Article
Highly Porous Polyimide Gel for Use as a Battery Separator with Room-Temperature Ionic Liquid Electrolytes
by Rocco P. Viggiano, James Wu, Daniel A. Scheiman, Brianne DeMattia, Patricia Loyselle and Baochau N. Nguyen
Gels 2026, 12(2), 108; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels12020108 - 27 Jan 2026
Viewed by 454
Abstract
Advanced aerospace vehicle concepts demand concurrent advances in energy storage technologies that improve both specific energy and safety. Commercial lithium-ion batteries commonly employ polyolefin microporous separators and carbonate-based liquid electrolytes, which can deliver room-temperature ionic conductivities on the order of 10−3–10 [...] Read more.
Advanced aerospace vehicle concepts demand concurrent advances in energy storage technologies that improve both specific energy and safety. Commercial lithium-ion batteries commonly employ polyolefin microporous separators and carbonate-based liquid electrolytes, which can deliver room-temperature ionic conductivities on the order of 10−3–10−2 S/cm but rely on inherently flammable solvents. Room-temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) offer a nonvolatile, nonflammable alternative with a stable electrochemical window; however, many RTILs exhibit poor compatibility and wetting with polyolefin separators. Here, we evaluate highly porous, cross-linked polyimide (PI) gel separators based on 4,4′-oxydianiline (ODA) and biphenyl-3,3′,4,4′-tetracarboxylic dianhydride (BPDA), cross-linked with Desmodur N3300A, formulated with repeating unit lengths (n) of 30 and 60. These PI gel separators exhibit an open, fibrillar network with high porosity (typically >85%), high thermal stability (onset decomposition > 561 °C), and high char yield. Six imidazolium-based RTILs containing 10 wt% LiTFSI were screened, yielding nonflammable separator/electrolyte systems with room-temperature conductivities in the 10−3 S/cm range. Among the RTILs studied, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (EMIM-TFSI) provided the best overall performance. Ionic conductivity and its retention after four months of storage at 75 °C were evaluated in the EMIM-TFSI/LiTFSI system, and the corresponding gel separator exhibited a tensile modulus of 26.66 MPa. Collectively, these results demonstrate that PI gel separators can enable carbonate-free, nonflammable RTIL electrolytes while maintaining the ionic conductivity suitable for lithium-based cells. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gels for Energy Applications)
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Review

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28 pages, 7487 KB  
Review
Aerogel-Based Phase Change Materials Meet Flame Retardancy: From Materials to Properties
by Panpan Zhao, Shudi Ying, Riming Hu, Jiachen Ma and Xuchuan Jiang
Gels 2025, 11(11), 923; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels11110923 - 19 Nov 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2143
Abstract
Energy storage materials play a crucial role in enhancing system efficiency by bridging the mismatch between energy supply and demand. Among them, organic phase change materials (PCMs) are particularly attractive due to their high energy storage density, no phase segregation and ability to [...] Read more.
Energy storage materials play a crucial role in enhancing system efficiency by bridging the mismatch between energy supply and demand. Among them, organic phase change materials (PCMs) are particularly attractive due to their high energy storage density, no phase segregation and ability to maintain nearly constant temperatures during phase transitions. However, their practical application is hindered by drawbacks such as leakage and flammability. Aerogels, characterized by high porosity, low density, and tunable structures, provide effective support matrices for encapsulating PCMs, thereby improving shape stability and enabling fire safety improvements when combined with flame-retardant strategies. Despite significant progress in PCM and aerogel research over the past decade, comprehensive studies dedicated to flame-retardant aerogel-based PCMs remain limited. This review systematically summarizes current flame-retardant approaches for aerogel-based PCMs, highlights recent advances in aerogel-supported systems, and outlines the key challenges and future opportunities for developing next-generation energy storage composites with improved thermal reliability, safety, and sustainability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gels for Energy Applications)
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64 pages, 16641 KB  
Review
Applications of Hydrogels for Next-Generation Batteries
by Sabuj Chandra Sutradhar, Nipa Banik, Md. Shahriar Ahmed, Hohyoun Jang, Kyung-Wan Nam and Mobinul Islam
Gels 2025, 11(9), 757; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels11090757 - 19 Sep 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 4219
Abstract
Hydrogels have garnered significant attention as multifunctional materials in next-generation rechargeable batteries due to their high ionic conductivity, mechanical flexibility, and structural tunability. This review presents a comprehensive overview of hydrogel types—including natural, synthetic, composite, carbon-based, conductive polymer, and MOF hydrogels—and their synthesis [...] Read more.
Hydrogels have garnered significant attention as multifunctional materials in next-generation rechargeable batteries due to their high ionic conductivity, mechanical flexibility, and structural tunability. This review presents a comprehensive overview of hydrogel types—including natural, synthetic, composite, carbon-based, conductive polymer, and MOF hydrogels—and their synthesis methods, such as chemical crosslinking, self-assembly, and irradiation-based techniques. Characterization tools like SEM, XRD, and FTIR are discussed to evaluate their microstructure and performance. In rechargeable batteries systems, hydrogels enhance ionic transport and mechanical stability, particularly in lithium-ion, sodium-ion, zinc-ion, magnesium-ion, and aluminum-ion batteries. Despite their advantages, hydrogels face challenges such as limited mechanical strength, reduced stability under extreme conditions, and scalability issues. Current research focuses on advanced formulations, self-healing mechanisms, and sustainable materials to overcome these limitations. This review highlights the pivotal role of hydrogels in shaping the future of flexible, high-performance, and environmentally friendly secondary batteries. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gels for Energy Applications)
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