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Thixotropic Gels: Mechanisms, Functions and Applications
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Thixotropic Gels: Mechanisms, Functions and Applications

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 7346

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Nataša Šijaković Vujičić

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Division of Organic Chemistry, Ruđer Bošković Institute, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Interests: gel; organogel; self-assembly; oil; drug-delivery; fat substitutes; hydrogel; rheology
Prof. Dr. Anabela Raymundo

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
LEAF—Linking Landscape, Environment, Agriculture and Food Research Center, School of Agronomy, University of Lisbon, 1349-017 Lisboa, Portugal
Interests: rheology; proteins; emulsions; foams; gels; polysaccharides; 3D printing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Thixotropy attracts the attention of researchers from fundamental, functional and applied perspectives. In the domain of gels, thixotropy is responsible for numerous functions, such as the gelation of water, oil, emulsions and various solvents. Thixotropic organogelators are particularly intriguing because the nature of self-healing has not been extensively explored. Due to the non-covalent interactions underlying the self-assembly of small organic molecules, leading to the formation of nanostructured systems and ultimately forming a gel, the self-healing of the gelator structure after mechanical disruption of the gel structure is unexpected. Hence, in this Special Issue, we aim to summarize contributions in the field, focusing on the mechanistic basis for the formation of thixotropic organogels, various characterization techniques, especially rheological characterization, diverse functional properties, the stimuli-responsive properties responsible for the formation of thixotropic gels in any solvent and, above all, their applications. The application and functionality of thixotropic gelators in materials science, medicine, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and food underscore the importance of a comprehensive overview of this field.

Dr. Nataša Šijaković Vujičić
Prof. Dr. Anabela Raymundo
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

  • thixotropy
  • self-assembly
  • organogels
  • rheology
  • applications
  • 3D-printing gels

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 4828 KiB  
Article
Thermal Damping Applications of Coconut Oil–Silica Gels and Their Rheological Properties
by Jesús Javier Jiménez-Galea and Ana Isabel Gómez-Merino
Gels 2025, 11(4), 261; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels11040261 - 2 Apr 2025
Viewed by 356
Abstract
Phase change materials (PCMs) have the advantage of using the latent thermal heat as energy storage. Coconut oil (CO) has attracted much attention as PCM due to its high stability against oxidation. Although the viscosity of CO-based dispersions has extensively been studied, little [...] Read more.
Phase change materials (PCMs) have the advantage of using the latent thermal heat as energy storage. Coconut oil (CO) has attracted much attention as PCM due to its high stability against oxidation. Although the viscosity of CO-based dispersions has extensively been studied, little research has been performed on time-dependent flow behaviors. In this work, the rheological properties of fumed silica dispersed in CO at fractions of 1, 2, 3, and 4 vol.% were investigated. All suspensions showed shear-thinning behavior, which became more Newtonian at temperatures above the phase change. The 3 and 4 vol.% suspensions showed gel-like microstructures. The thixotropic properties of the 3 vol.% suspension at 30 °C and 35 °C were mainly studied through stepwise changes in the shear rate. The results were consistent with thixotropic behavior, with a complete recovery of the microstructure. The sweep frequency of this sample demonstrated the dominance of the elastic modulus at both temperatures. Therefore, a thixoelastic nature of this gel could be inferred. This gel-like material flowed under high stress, providing superior thermal damping capabilities compared to conventional fluids. A reduction of 8.65 °C was confirmed after 30 min. of the laptop power supply operation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thixotropic Gels: Mechanisms, Functions and Applications)
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31 pages, 10917 KiB  
Article
Rheological Insight into the 3D Printability of Carboxymethyl Cellulose-Based Hydrogels
by Itziar Insua, Oliver Etzold, Itxaso Calafel, Robert Aguirresarobe, Marcelo Calderón and Mercedes Fernández
Gels 2025, 11(4), 259; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels11040259 - 1 Apr 2025
Viewed by 442
Abstract
Direct Ink Writing (DIW) is an advanced additive manufacturing 3D-printing technique with significant potential for producing hydrogels in biomedical and engineering applications. This study presents a comprehensive rheological analysis of the yielding and recovery properties critical for ensuring the printability of carboxymethyl cellulose [...] Read more.
Direct Ink Writing (DIW) is an advanced additive manufacturing 3D-printing technique with significant potential for producing hydrogels in biomedical and engineering applications. This study presents a comprehensive rheological analysis of the yielding and recovery properties critical for ensuring the printability of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)-based hydrogels incorporating atenolol, an antihypertensive agent, as the active ingredient. The viscoelastic properties under shear conditions were examined using Large Amplitude Oscillatory Shear (LAOS) testing. To obtain both qualitative and quantitative insight into hydrogel dynamics, Lissajous-Bowditch plots and Fourier Transform (FT) coefficients were analyzed. The evaluation of stress signal anharmonicity and the decomposition of stress into its elastic and viscous components allowed for distinguishing structural evolution under flow among the tested hydrogels. Additionally, the analysis of the Sequence of Physical Processes (SPP) during each deformation cycle provided deeper insight into oscillatory yielding behavior, emphasizing the role of elastic strains in determining printability. Overall, the study offers valuable understanding of the nonlinear viscoelastic behavior of CMC-based hydrogels, providing a framework for optimizing hydrogel formulations in DIW applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thixotropic Gels: Mechanisms, Functions and Applications)
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15 pages, 4301 KiB  
Article
Simultaneous Encapsulation of Probiotic Bacteria (Lactococcus lactis, and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum) in Calcium Alginate Hydrogels
by Marko Vinceković, Luna Maslov Bandić, Fabijan Oštarić, Marta Kiš, Nevijo Zdolec, Ivan Marić, Suzana Šegota, Hana Zelić and Nataša Mikulec
Gels 2025, 11(1), 34; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels11010034 - 3 Jan 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1391
Abstract
Encapsulation in alginate hydrogel microspheres is an effective method for protecting and improving the survival of lactic acid bacteria in different environments. This research aims to expand the knowledge about the structure/property relationship of calcium alginate microspheres loaded with a mixture of autochthonous [...] Read more.
Encapsulation in alginate hydrogel microspheres is an effective method for protecting and improving the survival of lactic acid bacteria in different environments. This research aims to expand the knowledge about the structure/property relationship of calcium alginate microspheres loaded with a mixture of autochthonous probiotic bacteria (Lactococcus lactis and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum). A novel hydrogel formulation (FORMLAB) was prepared by ionic gelation and the molecular interactions between the FORMLAB constituents, surface morphology, structure, swelling degree, and release profile were characterized. The simultaneous encapsulation of two bacterial cultures in the same compartment does not diminish their viability. The binding of calcium ions to bacterial cells creates favorable conditions for the propagation of the encapsulated bacteria. The molecular interactions between the FORMLAB constituents are complex, involving mainly hydrogen bonds and electrostatic interactions. With a very high degree of swelling followed by low crosslinking, the surface of the microspheres covered with bacterial cells and diffusion through the hydrogel matrix allow for the delivery of probiotics at the right time. The findings suggest that bacterial cells are efficiently delivered from calcium alginate microspheres, offering promising applications in the development of functional foods, especially in cheese production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thixotropic Gels: Mechanisms, Functions and Applications)
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12 pages, 35977 KiB  
Article
Organogels of FmocFF: Exploring the Solvent-Dependent Gelmorphic Behavior
by Basanta Saikia, Dong Chen, Yovan de Coene and Stijn Van Cleuvenbergen
Gels 2024, 10(11), 749; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels10110749 - 19 Nov 2024
Viewed by 1061
Abstract
FmocFF (9-fluorenyl methoxycarbonyl-phenylalanine) is an extensively studied low-molecular-weight hydrogel. Although there have been numerous studies on FmocFF hydrogel, its potential to form organogels has not been well explored. In this work, we systematically explore the organogels of FmocFF in a wide range of [...] Read more.
FmocFF (9-fluorenyl methoxycarbonyl-phenylalanine) is an extensively studied low-molecular-weight hydrogel. Although there have been numerous studies on FmocFF hydrogel, its potential to form organogels has not been well explored. In this work, we systematically explore the organogels of FmocFF in a wide range of organic solvents. FmocFF is found to be a robust organogeltor, and the subsequent organogels exhibit diverse gelmorphic behavior exhibiting various degrees of crystallinity and morphology depending on the solvent used. The mechanical strength of the organogels is evaluated using rheology. A novel technique, in situ SHG microscopy, is introduced to study the gel structure in its native state. In addition to the solvent–solute interactions that are typically used to predict gelmorphic behavior, we observed indications that the degree of crystallinity also plays a significant role in determining the mechanical properties and structure of FmocFF organogels. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thixotropic Gels: Mechanisms, Functions and Applications)
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20 pages, 2187 KiB  
Article
Sustainable Jam with Apple Pomace: Gelling, Rheology, and Composition Analysis
by Ândria Viegas, Maria João Alegria and Anabela Raymundo
Gels 2024, 10(9), 580; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels10090580 - 8 Sep 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2687
Abstract
Fruit juice processing can generate significant waste, but efficiently repurposing some of its byproducts not only reduces environmental impact but also adds value, thereby enhancing sustainability in the food industry. This work assesses the use of hydrocolloids in jam preparation and the influence [...] Read more.
Fruit juice processing can generate significant waste, but efficiently repurposing some of its byproducts not only reduces environmental impact but also adds value, thereby enhancing sustainability in the food industry. This work assesses the use of hydrocolloids in jam preparation and the influence of time and temperature on gelation in the presence of apple pomace. The effects of different processing conditions were analyzed using response surface methodology. Viscosity, elastic modulus (G′), viscous modulus (G″), and firmness were measured. Results indicated that both time and temperature significantly improved rheological and textural properties. The optimal conditions (35.6 min and 84.2 °C) yielded a viscosity of 3.66 × 10⁴ ± 4.49 × 102 Pa·s and a G′ at 1 Hz of 2596 ± 128 Pa. The final product exhibited the desirable texture, was free of added sugars, had low lipid content, and retained its bioactive compounds. Applying apple pomace in the formulation allows a more efficient hydrocolloid system, promotes a circular economy, and combats food waste. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thixotropic Gels: Mechanisms, Functions and Applications)
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