Design of Hydrogels and Hydrogel-Derived Materials for Controlled Molecule Release Applications

Dear Colleagues,

The development and applications of hydrogels and hydrogel-derived materials have gained significant attention due to their exceptional tunability, biocompatibility, and functionality. These materials offer innovative and effective solutions for controlled molecule release, making them highly valuable across various disciplines, including drug delivery, agriculture, environmental remediation, and biomedical engineering.

In recent years, the need for precise, sustained, and stimuli-responsive molecules release—such as in pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, nutrients, or bioactive compounds—has positioned hydrogels as key candidates for addressing this challenge. Their inherent properties, including their high water contents, porous networks, and their ability to respond to environmental triggers, enable the design of smart systems tailored for targeted and time-dependent delivery.

This Special Issue, entitled “Design of Hydrogels and Hydrogel-Derived Materials for Controlled Molecule Release Applications,” invites original research and comprehensive reviews that explore the design, synthesis, and characterization of hydrogels aimed at controlled release. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Smart and stimuli-responsive hydrogels for drug and gene delivery;
• Hydrogels for the controlled release of agrochemicals, nutrients, or growth factors;
• Biodegradable and biocompatible hydrogel systems;
• Nanocomposite or hybrid hydrogels for enhanced release profiles;
• Kinetic modeling and mechanistic insights into release behaviors;
• Advances in hydrogel fabrication techniques for release applications.

We encourage submissions that push the boundaries of hydrogel design and contribute to the fundamental understanding or practical implementation of molecule release systems. Both original research articles and reviews are welcome.

We look forward to receiving your valuable contributions.

Dr. Florian E. Jurin
Prof. Dr. Cédric C. Buron
Prof. Dr. Arnaud Béduneau
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 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.

• controlled release
• stimuli-responsive hydrogels
• smart hydrogels
• hydrogel-derived materials
• drug delivery systems
• injectable hydrogels
• agrochemical delivery systems
• sustained nutrient release
• active packaging materials
• environmentally friendly packaging