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Gels
Special Issues
Applications of Gels in Energy Materials and Devices
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Applications of Gels in Energy Materials and Devices

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2025 | Viewed by 8968

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Mobinul Islam

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Energy and Materials Engineering, Dongguk University, Seoul 04620, Republic of Korea
Interests: advanced materials for Li & Na-ion battery; materials characterization; Li-air battery; electrocatalyst; electrochemistry; nanomaterials; polymeric materials; X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS); ultra-small angle X-ray scattering; X-ray nano imaging
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Gels are solid three-dimensional networks that entrap a liquid medium through surface tension. Different types of gels range from soft to weak to hard and robust. Some gels form when two or more substances are mixed with heating, while others form when a liquid is cooled down to a certain temperature. Their unique properties, such as their ability to hold large quantities of liquid in a concentrated form and their stability and inertness, lead to their use in various products, from food to cosmetics. However, Gels are prevalent in pharmaceuticals, environmental and bio-related fields and are highly desirable in materials and devices that generate, convert, and store energy.

Energy is the lifeblood of industry and drives the wheels of progress in modern society. Energy is also essential for our daily lives, powering our homes and businesses and providing essential services such as transportation, communications, and health care. Without access to energy, we would be unable to live as we do today. There has been a global surge in interest in energy conversion and storage. This is driven by the need to reduce carbon emissions and the demand for renewable energy sources. Companies invest heavily in researching and developing new technologies such as batteries, fuel cells, and renewable energy sources. Notably, Gels can also exhibit considerable properties at the electronic, optoelectronic, and electrochemical levels. Gels can provide a high surface area while being flexible and lightweight. Gels can also store and release energy when exposed to heat and pressure. These properties make them suitable for various applications, such as energy storage, sensors, optoelectronic devices, and fuel cells. Since the number of publications for these lines of research is rising, I believe this is an ideal opportunity to announce a Special Issue more focused on these new applications (electronics, energy capturing, energy storage, and harvesting) for gels.

As the title suggests, this Special Issue focuses on the synthesis and characterization of diverse gel-based materials for use as energy-producing devices (solar or fuel cells), energy reconversion systems (hydrogen peroxide production, CO2 capture, etc.), and energy storage devices (supercapacitors, batteries). I hope the Special Issue will unite researchers from diverse backgrounds to exchange knowledge, ideas, and views on the latest advancements in gel-based materials for energy applications.

In this Special Issue, theoretical and experimental contributions in the form of literature reviews, full-length original research articles, and short communications are welcome.

Dr. Mobinul Islam
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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

  • polymer gel
  • gel precursor
  • hydrogels
  • gel membrane
  • solar cell
  • batteries
  • sol–gel method
  • energy devices
  • energy conversion
  • energy harvesting
  • supercapacitor
  • flexible batteries
  • H2O2 production

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 4392 KiB  
Article
Fire Prevention and Extinguishing Characteristics of Al3+-CS/PAM-MBA Composite Dual-Network Gel
by Jianguo Wang, Yueyang Zhou, Yifan Zhao and Zhenzhen Zhang
Gels 2025, 11(2), 148; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels11020148 - 19 Feb 2025
Viewed by 468
Abstract
A physically and chemically cross-linked Al3+-CS/PAM-MBA dual-network gel with enhanced fire-suppression performance was prepared using chitosan (CS), acrylamide (AM), and N,N’-methylenebisacrylamide (MBA) as base materials. The first network was formed through the covalent cross-linking of polyacrylamide (PAM) with MBA, while the [...] Read more.
A physically and chemically cross-linked Al3+-CS/PAM-MBA dual-network gel with enhanced fire-suppression performance was prepared using chitosan (CS), acrylamide (AM), and N,N’-methylenebisacrylamide (MBA) as base materials. The first network was formed through the covalent cross-linking of polyacrylamide (PAM) with MBA, while the second network was established by crosslinking CS molecules with Al3+ ions. The optimal gel ratio was determined by evaluating its formation time and viscosity. The fire prevention and extinguishing performance of the gel was assessed through thermal stability analysis, temperature-programmed studies, infrared spectroscopy, thermal analysis, and fire-extinguishing experiments. The results indicated that the Al3+-CS/PAM-MBA dual-network gel exhibited excellent thermal stability and a strong self-ignition inhibition effect, effectively suppressing coal spontaneous combustion and oxidation. The gel achieved this by chemically inactivating coal molecules, disrupting the functional groups closely associated with coal–oxygen reactions and thereby hindering these reactions. Fire-extinguishing tests demonstrated that the gel restrained coal from spontaneous combustion. Upon application, the gel rapidly reduced the coal temperature, making re-ignition less likely. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Gels in Energy Materials and Devices)
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18 pages, 7677 KiB  
Article
Functionalization of Polyvinylpyrrolidone Films by Grafting Maleic Acid from PVP Gels for Loading Studies of Naringin and Silver Nanoparticles as Potential Wound Dressings
by Miguel S. Pérez-Garibay, Gabriel Ángel Lara-Rodríguez and Emilio Bucio
Gels 2025, 11(2), 147; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels11020147 - 19 Feb 2025
Viewed by 986
Abstract
Wound healing is a complex process involving stages such as hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling. In this context, polymers are useful materials for wound treatment. This research used the Casting method to prepare films from 2% polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) gels. Subsequently, PVP films were [...] Read more.
Wound healing is a complex process involving stages such as hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling. In this context, polymers are useful materials for wound treatment. This research used the Casting method to prepare films from 2% polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) gels. Subsequently, PVP films were grafted with maleic acid (MA) (PVP-g-PAM) to load naringin (NA) and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in order to obtain a material with pH responsiveness and antibacterial properties. The modified PVP-g-PAM films were prepared using gamma-ray irradiation through a pre-irradiation oxidative method at a dose rate of 13.7 kGy h−1, doses ranging from 10 to 25 kGy, and reaction times from 50 to 80 min in a bath of water, all samples at 50 °C, and a fixed monomer concentration of 15% (w/v) MA in THF. The conditions that yielded the highest percentage of grafting were 20 kGy and 60 min. NA was loaded at a fixed concentration of 5%. Data release showed that the films follow the Korsmeyer-Peppas kinetic model. Synthesis of AgNPs was performed by γ-ray irradiation–reduction (10 and 30 kGy), using PVP as a stabilizer. AgNPs showed in vitro effectiveness against E. coli and S. aureus. Films were characterized by FTIR-ATR, TGA, DSC, mechanical properties, swelling index, and contact angle. Further studies must be implemented; however, the results up now suggest that PVP-g-PAM loaded with NA and AgNPs can be useful as a potential wound dressing. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Gels in Energy Materials and Devices)
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Review

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28 pages, 14722 KiB  
Review
Review on the Polymeric and Chelate Gel Precursor for Li-Ion Battery Cathode Material Synthesis
by Mobinul Islam, Md. Shahriar Ahmed, Muhammad Faizan, Basit Ali, Md Murshed Bhuyan, Gazi A. K. M. Rafiqul Bari and Kyung-Wan Nam
Gels 2024, 10(9), 586; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels10090586 - 12 Sep 2024
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2413
Abstract
The rapid design of advanced materials depends on synthesis parameters and design. A wide range of materials can be synthesized using precursor reactions based on chelated gel and organic polymeric gel pathways. The desire to develop high-performance lithium-ion rechargeable batteries has motivated decades [...] Read more.
The rapid design of advanced materials depends on synthesis parameters and design. A wide range of materials can be synthesized using precursor reactions based on chelated gel and organic polymeric gel pathways. The desire to develop high-performance lithium-ion rechargeable batteries has motivated decades of research on the synthesis of battery active material particles with precise control of composition, phase-purity, and morphology. Among the most common methods reported in the literature to prepare precursors for lithium-ion battery active materials, sol-gel is characterized by simplicity, homogeneous mixing, and tuning of the particle shape. The chelate gel and organic polymeric gel precursor-based sol-gel method is efficient to promote desirable reaction conditions. Both precursor routes are commonly used to synthesize lithium-ion battery cathode active materials from raw materials such as inorganic salts in aqueous solutions or organic solvents. The purpose of this review is to discuss synthesis procedure and summarize the progress that has been made in producing crystalline particles of tunable and complex morphologies by sol-gel synthesis that can be used as active materials for lithium-ion batteries. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Gels in Energy Materials and Devices)
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30 pages, 5265 KiB  
Review
Conducting Polymer-Based Gel Materials: Synthesis, Morphology, Thermal Properties, and Applications in Supercapacitors
by Mohammad Mizanur Rahman Khan and Nilave Chakraborty
Gels 2024, 10(9), 553; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels10090553 - 26 Aug 2024
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2200
Abstract
Despite the numerous ongoing research studies in the area of conducting polymer-based electrode materials for supercapacitors, the implementation has been inadequate for commercialization. Further understanding is required for the design and synthesis of suitable materials like conducting polymer-based gels as electrode materials for [...] Read more.
Despite the numerous ongoing research studies in the area of conducting polymer-based electrode materials for supercapacitors, the implementation has been inadequate for commercialization. Further understanding is required for the design and synthesis of suitable materials like conducting polymer-based gels as electrode materials for supercapacitor applications. Among the polymers, conductive polymer gels (CPGs) have generated great curiosity for their use as supercapacitors, owing to their attractive qualities like integrated 3D porous nanostructures, softness features, very good conductivity, greater pseudo capacitance, and environmental friendliness. In this review, we describe the current progress on the synthesis of CPGs for supercapacitor applications along with their morphological behaviors and thermal properties. We clearly explain the synthesis approaches and related phenomena, including electrochemical approaches for supercapacitors, especially their potential applications as supercapacitors based on these materials. Focus is also given to the recent advances of CPG-based electrodes for supercapacitors, and the electrochemical performances of CP-based promising composites with CNT, graphene oxides, and metal oxides is discussed. This review may provide an extensive reference for forthcoming insights into CPG-based supercapacitors for large-scale applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Gels in Energy Materials and Devices)
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30 pages, 6972 KiB  
Review
Gels/Hydrogels in Different Devices/Instruments—A Review
by Md Murshed Bhuyan and Jae-Ho Jeong
Gels 2024, 10(9), 548; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels10090548 - 23 Aug 2024
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2521
Abstract
Owing to their physical and chemical properties and stimuli-responsive nature, gels and hydrogels play vital roles in diverse application fields. The three-dimensional polymeric network structure of hydrogels is considered an alternative to many materials, such as conductors, ordinary films, constituent components of machines [...] Read more.
Owing to their physical and chemical properties and stimuli-responsive nature, gels and hydrogels play vital roles in diverse application fields. The three-dimensional polymeric network structure of hydrogels is considered an alternative to many materials, such as conductors, ordinary films, constituent components of machines and robots, etc. The most recent applications of gels are in different devices like sensors, actuators, flexible screens, touch panels, flexible storage, solar cells, batteries, and electronic skin. This review article addresses the devices where gels are used, the progress of research, the working mechanisms of hydrogels in those devices, and future prospects. Preparation methods are also important for obtaining a suitable hydrogel. This review discusses different methods of hydrogel preparation from the respective raw materials. Moreover, the mechanism by which gels act as a part of electronic devices is described. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Gels in Energy Materials and Devices)
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