Recent Advances and Future Perspectives in Gelators Research

Dear Colleagues,

Recently, the design of gel-based materials, obtained from gelator molecules self-assembled into 3D network structures and entrapping various solvents, has gained research interest. Different low molecular weight organogelators (LMOG) or polymeric organogelators (POG) have been used to form in situ injectable gel materials. These systems are usually prepared by dissolving the gelator in a solvent medium and then cooling the solution below its characteristic gelation transition temperature (Tgel). Most hydrogel or organogel materials are physical gels and, unlike chemical gels (cross-linked polymers), are thermally sensitive and thermally reversible. In solution, gelators self-assemble via non-covalent interactions to form fibrous structures responsible for the gelation phenomena. One promising avenue for these gel materials used as depot formulations lies in the administration of hydrophilic and lipophilic drugs, such as cholinesterase inhibitors, vaccine adjuvants, contraceptive steroids, and anti-inflammatory and chemotherapeutic agents. They are also engineered to interact with biological systems for biomedical applications. Furthermore, another axis of research is developing a bio-inspired approach involving a bottom-up strategy for synthesizing supramolecular gels to generate novel biomaterial candidates. All these demonstrations show the importance of examining these materials and their derivatives for the preparation of new formulations or smart materials for pharmaceutical and medicinal applications. 

Dr. Plamen Kirilov
Guest Editor

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