Recent Advances in the Rheology of Soft Gels
A special issue of Gels (ISSN 2310-2861). This special issue belongs to the section "Gel Analysis and Characterization".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2026 | Viewed by 24
Special Issue Editors
Interests: gel; rheology; rheometry; non-Newtonian fluid mechanics; yield-stress materials; thixotropy; time-dependent materials
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Soft gels, as a class of materials with tunable mechanical properties and diverse applications, have attracted extensive research interest in recent years. This Special Issue "Recent Advances in the Rheology of Soft Gels" aims to explore the rheological study of soft gels. It has been pivotal in understanding their structure–property relationships, guiding the design of gels for use in fields such as biomedicine, soft robotics, and consumer products.
A key advancement lies in the characterization of nonlinear and time-dependent rheological behaviors. Techniques such as quasi-linear large-amplitude oscillatory shear (QL-LAOS) enable researchers to probe the viscoelastic properties of materials following microstructural changes induced by large stresses and deformations. These insights are critical for optimizing material performance in dynamic environments, such as injectable gels for drug delivery or 3D-printable bioinks. Another emerging area is the development of multifunctional and responsive gels. By incorporating dynamic bonds, nanoparticles, or polymer networks with tailored architectures, researchers have created gels with self-healing, stimuli-responsive, and tunable viscoelastic properties. Advanced rheology has been instrumental in quantifying how these features influence gel stability, self-recovery, and adaptability to external stimuli like temperature, pH, or light.
Furthermore, the integration of rheology with complementary techniques such as scattering, microscopy, and computational modeling has provided a holistic view of gel microstructure evolution under flow. These multidisciplinary approaches not only enhance the fundamental understanding of soft gels but also accelerate the design of next-generation materials for emerging technologies. We are thrilled to invite you, as a renowned expert in the field, to contribute to this Special Issue and the development of the scientific study.
Prof. Dr. Paulo R. De Souza Mendes
Prof. Dr. Flávio H. Marchesini
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.
Keywords
- soft gels
- rheology
- biomedicine
- soft robotics
- consumer products
- drug delivery
- 3D-printable bioinks
- responsive gels
- emerging technologies
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