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Shaping the Future with Thermoresponsive Gels: Smart Materials for Emerging...
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Shaping the Future with Thermoresponsive Gels: Smart Materials for Emerging Technologies

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 July 2026 | Viewed by 2280

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Adina-Elena Segneanu

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Guest Editor
1. Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Biology, and Geography, West University of Timisoara, Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi 16, 300115 Timișoara, Romania
2. Department of Chemistry, Institute for Advanced Environmental Research, West University of Timişoara (ICAM–WUT), 4 Oituz Street, 300086 Timişoara, Romania
Interests: food safety; nanomaterials; gel; natural compounds; analytical methodology; spectroscopy; active substance and secondary metabolites
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Cornelia Bejenaru

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349 Craova, Romania
Interests: gels; pharmaceutical
Dr. Maria Viorica Ciocîlteu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania
Interests: natural polymer materials

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleague,

Thermoresponsive gels are a dynamic class of materials that undergo reversible physical or chemical changes in response to temperature fluctuations. These smart gels have garnered significant interest due to their diverse applications, including drug delivery, tissue engineering, smart coatings, and soft robotics. This Special Issue of Gels aims to explore recent advances in the design, synthesis, and application of thermoresponsive gels. Topics of interest include novel polymer architectures, mechanisms of thermoresponsiveness, biocompatible and biodegradable systems, and the integration of these materials into innovative technological solutions. This Special Issue aims to bring together leading research on thermoresponsive gel systems, highlighting their potential to address critical challenges in science, engineering, and medicine.

Dr. Adina-Elena Segneanu
Dr. Cornelia Bejenaru
Dr. Maria Viorica Ciocîlteu
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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

  • thermoresponsive gels
  • smart materials
  • temperature-sensitive polymers
  • hydrogels
  • phase transition
  • adaptive materials
  • drug delivery systems

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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26 pages, 3300 KB  
Article
Thermoresponsive Sol–Gel System Incorporating Oleuropein-Rich Olive Leaf Extract for Enhanced Wound Healing and Antibiofilm Activity
by Levent Alparslan, Samet Özdemir, Burak Karacan, Gülşah Torkay, Ayca Bal-Öztürk, Ömer Faruk Tutar, Ece Özcan-Bülbül, Semra Şardaş, Zübeyde Merve Kala and Yıldız Özalp
Gels 2026, 12(4), 307; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels12040307 - 3 Apr 2026
Viewed by 826
Abstract
Oleuropein, the principal secoiridoid phenolic compound of olive leaves (Olea europaea L.), is recognized for its broad-spectrum antimicrobial, antibiofilm, antioxidant, and tissue-regenerative properties. However, its effective local therapeutic application remains challenging due to rapid clearance from the site of administration and limited [...] Read more.
Oleuropein, the principal secoiridoid phenolic compound of olive leaves (Olea europaea L.), is recognized for its broad-spectrum antimicrobial, antibiofilm, antioxidant, and tissue-regenerative properties. However, its effective local therapeutic application remains challenging due to rapid clearance from the site of administration and limited residence time. In this study, an oleuropein-rich aqueous olive leaf extract was incorporated into a thermoresponsive sol–gel delivery system designed for localized application. The formulation was engineered to remain in a low-viscosity sol state at room temperature and to undergo a temperature-triggered sol-to-gel transition near physiological temperature (~33 °C), enabling in situ gel formation. Oleuropein content was quantified using a validated HPLC method, and the formulation was characterized with respect to physicochemical parameters, thermoreversible gelation behavior, particle size distribution, mechanical properties, and spreadability. Biological performance was evaluated through in vitro cytocompatibility (MTT assay), fibroblast migration (scratch assay), and collagen deposition (Sirius Red staining) in L929 fibroblasts, as well as antibiofilm activity against representative Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains. The developed sol–gel system demonstrated stable physicochemical characteristics, rapid and reversible thermogelation, suitable mechanical and spreading properties, concentration-dependent inhibition of biofilm formation, and acceptable cytocompatibility within the tested concentration range. Notably, the formulation supported fibroblast viability and collagen-associated responses at optimized concentrations. Overall, the results indicate that the proposed thermoresponsive sol–gel formulation represents a promising strategy for the localized delivery of oleuropein-rich olive leaf extract, combining physicochemical stability with dual wound-healing and antibiofilm functionality. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Shaping the Future with Thermoresponsive Gels: Smart Materials for Emerging Technologies)
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23 pages, 3480 KB  
Article
Research and Development of a CO2-Responsive TMPDA–SDS–SiO2 Gel System for Profile Control and Enhanced Oil Recovery
by Guojun Li, Meilong Fu, Jun Chen and Yuhao Zhu
Gels 2025, 11(9), 709; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels11090709 - 3 Sep 2025
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 981
Abstract
A CO2-responsive TMPDA–SDS–SiO2 gel system was developed and evaluated through formulation optimization, structural characterization, rheological testing, and core flooding experiments. The optimal formulation was identified as 7.39 wt% SDS, 1.69 wt% TMPDA, and 0.1 wt% SiO2, achieving post-CO [...] Read more.
A CO2-responsive TMPDA–SDS–SiO2 gel system was developed and evaluated through formulation optimization, structural characterization, rheological testing, and core flooding experiments. The optimal formulation was identified as 7.39 wt% SDS, 1.69 wt% TMPDA, and 0.1 wt% SiO2, achieving post-CO2 viscosities above 103–104 mPa·s. Spectroscopic and microscopic analyses confirmed that CO2 protonates TMPDA amine groups to form carbamate/bicarbonate species, which drive the micellar transformation into a wormlike network, thereby enhancing gelation and viscosity. Rheological tests showed severe shear-thinning behavior, excellent shear recovery, and reversible viscosity changes under alternating CO2/N2 injection. The gel demonstrated rapid responsiveness, reaching stable viscosities within 8 min, and maintained good performance after 60 days of thermal aging at 90 °C and in high-salinity brines. Plugging tests in sand-packed tubes revealed that a permeability reduction of 98.9% could be achieved at 0.15 PV injection. In heterogeneous parallel core flooding experiments, the gel preferentially reduced high-permeability channel conductivity, improved sweep efficiency in low-permeability zones, and increased incremental oil recovery by 14.28–34.38% depending on the permeability contrast. These findings indicate that the CO2-responsive TMPDA–SDS–SiO2 gel system offers promising potential as a novel smart blocking gel system for improving the effectiveness of CO2 flooding in heterogeneous reservoirs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Shaping the Future with Thermoresponsive Gels: Smart Materials for Emerging Technologies)
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Review

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29 pages, 3138 KB  
Review
Temperature/pH Dual-Responsive Hydrogels: Research Progress in Preparation Methods, Structural Design Strategies and Biomedical Applications
by Sisi Wang, Gang Wang, Xuefei Liu, Jinshun Bi, Wenjun Xiao, Degui Wang, Mingqiang Liu, Changsong Gao, Ziqiang Xu, Zhen Wang, Yan Wu and Abuduwayiti Aierken
Gels 2026, 12(5), 433; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels12050433 (registering DOI) - 15 May 2026
Abstract
Temperature/pH dual-responsive hydrogels are a class of smart materials capable of undergoing reversible structural or functional changes in response to temperature and pH stimuli. Owing to their remarkable dual-stimuli-responsive characteristics, these hydrogels have demonstrated significant potential in various biomedical applications, including drug delivery, [...] Read more.
Temperature/pH dual-responsive hydrogels are a class of smart materials capable of undergoing reversible structural or functional changes in response to temperature and pH stimuli. Owing to their remarkable dual-stimuli-responsive characteristics, these hydrogels have demonstrated significant potential in various biomedical applications, including drug delivery, tissue engineering, and diagnostics technologies, making them a prominent research focus. Although considerable progress has been made in recent years, a systematic summary of the preparation methods, structural design strategies and complex biomedical applications of these materials remains conspicuously absent. Consequently, this review aims to comprehensively examine the latest advancements in this field. First, the primary preparation methods of temperature/pH dual-responsive hydrogels, including chemical crosslinking, physical crosslinking, and hybrid crosslinking, are introduced and compared. Subsequently, the main structural design strategies, including microsphere, core–shell and layered structures, and their corresponding fabrication processes are systematically elucidated. Finally, the recent progress of temperature/pH dual-responsive hydrogels in biomedical applications is discussed, including drug delivery, cancer therapy, biosensing and diagnosis, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, as well as wound healing. Based on the current research progress, this review also outlines the major challenges in the development of temperature/pH dual-responsive hydrogels, and presents perspectives on future research directions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Shaping the Future with Thermoresponsive Gels: Smart Materials for Emerging Technologies)
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