Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
7.6
5.3
Journals
Gels
Special Issues
Properties of Hydrogels, Aerogels, and Cryogels Composites (3rd Edition)
share announcement

Properties of Hydrogels, Aerogels, and Cryogels Composites (3rd Edition)

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2026 | Viewed by 1761

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Irina Elena Raschip

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Petru Poni Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Grigore Ghica Voda Alley 41A, 700487 Iasi, Romania
Interests: biomaterials; porous gels; cryogel; functional materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Raluca Nicoleta Darie-Nita

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Petru Poni Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Grigore Ghica Voda Alley 41A, 700487 Iasi, Romania
Interests: reactive processing (natural and synthetic polymers); physico-chemical characterization of polymers and composites (rheological, mechanical, thermal, and surface properties); biodegradable polymers; applications of bio-based materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue titled ‘Properties of Hydrogels, Aerogels, and Cryogels Composites (3rd Edition)’ is dedicated to the latest advances in the preparation, properties, and applications of gel-type materials, highlighting key concepts relevant to the unique properties of hydrogels, aerogels, and cryogels.

Hydrogels have the ability to absorb impressive amounts of water or biological fluids within their peculiar structure of physically or chemically cross-linked 3D polymer networks. Hydrogels can be converted to aerogels following water removal via different approaches. Their distinctive features, such as super absorbency, fluffiness, biocompatibility, viscoelasticity, and softness, underpin various applications, especially in the biomedical field.

Lately, porous gel materials have been found to offer more benefits than conventional hydrogels when applied as scaffolds for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, substrates for cell culture, chromatographic materials, and carriers for the controlled delivery of drugs or proteins. In this regard, cryogels have revolutionized the field of biomedical research with their super elasticity and highly interconnected and open macroporous structure obtained by conducting polymerization/cross-linking at subzero temperatures. Furthermore, the development of sustainable composites has been a priority for polymer engineering research over the past two decades. Composite materials have been designed by blending two or more polymers or by entrapping inorganic or natural fillers of nano- or micro-sizes within a polymer matrix in order to tune the physical, chemical, and biological properties of hydrogels, aerogels, and cryogels.

This Special Issue will cover new discoveries in the production of hydrogels, aerogels, and cryogels with a broad variety of morphologies and properties, which can be tailored for a particular application.
You are free to read, download, and share the published papers in the first and second editions via the following links:

https://www.mdpi.com/journal/gels/special_issues/8J48X5CX04

https://www.mdpi.com/journal/gels/special_issues/746Y7924Z1

Dr. Irina Elena Raschip
Dr. Raluca Nicoleta Darie-Nita
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

  • biomaterials
  • porous gels
  • functional materials
  • viscoelasticity
  • interconnectivity
  • swelling
  • biomedical and environmental applications

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

14 pages, 3462 KB  
Article
Intrinsically Thermoresponsive Hydrogels from Molecularly Engineered Chitosan
by Xiaohan Zha, Chen Wang, Zhuoying Meng, Yiwen Ye, Hui Sun, Chengyu Tan and Ye Tian
Gels 2026, 12(2), 119; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels12020119 - 28 Jan 2026
Viewed by 440
Abstract
Thermoresponsive chitosan hydrogels hold significant promise for advancing biomedical technologies, yet their frequent reliance on petroleum-based polymers raises biosafety and environmental concerns. The present study utilized a molecular functionalization strategy to transform chitosan into thermoresponsive alkylated chitosan (ICS). The ICS was subsequently covalently [...] Read more.
Thermoresponsive chitosan hydrogels hold significant promise for advancing biomedical technologies, yet their frequent reliance on petroleum-based polymers raises biosafety and environmental concerns. The present study utilized a molecular functionalization strategy to transform chitosan into thermoresponsive alkylated chitosan (ICS). The ICS was subsequently covalently crosslinked to construct a fully degradable, all-chitosan thermoresponsive hydrogel (TR-ICSgel), showcasing the effective integration of structural design and functionality. By adjusting the ICS concentration, TR-ICSgels with varying volume phase transition temperatures (VPTTs) were obtained. Above the VPTT, strengthened alkyl chain hydrophobic interactions triggered hydrogel dehydration and pronounced, reversible shrinkage–swelling. The hydrogel maintained a stable swelling response over 20 consecutive temperature-stimulus cycles. Further investigation was conducted on the effects of ionic strength and small-molecule solvents on the thermoresponsive behavior of TR-ICSgel. Soil burial and buffer solution tests demonstrated that the hydrogel underwent almost complete degradation within 27 and 15 days, respectively, and the degradation rate could be regulated by the ICS concentration. The TR-ICSgel’s all-chitosan framework ensured excellent biocompatibility, with cell viability maintained above 95%. This study presents a strategy for developing fully bio-based, degradable smart hydrogels, enhancing biosafety and environmental friendliness. Moreover, these results provide crucial performance data and theoretical support for their practical application. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Properties of Hydrogels, Aerogels, and Cryogels Composites (3rd Edition))
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

22 pages, 3370 KB  
Article
Preparation and Characterization of Chemically Cross-Linked Xanthan/Poly(Vinylalcohol) Hydrogel Films Containing Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles for Potential Application in Removal of Methylene Blue and Crystal Violet Dyes
by Nicusor Fifere, Maria Marinela Lazar, Irina Elena Raschip, Anton Airinei, Cristian-Dragos Varganici and Maria Valentina Dinu
Gels 2025, 11(10), 809; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels11100809 - 9 Oct 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 941
Abstract
In this work, hydrogel nanocomposites, as films, were prepared by embedding cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO2NPs) within xanthan gum (Xn)/poly(vinylalcohol) (PVA) matrices. Their physicochemical properties were tuned by adjusting the ratio between components and thermal treatment conditions. The cross-linking of the polymer [...] Read more.
In this work, hydrogel nanocomposites, as films, were prepared by embedding cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO2NPs) within xanthan gum (Xn)/poly(vinylalcohol) (PVA) matrices. Their physicochemical properties were tuned by adjusting the ratio between components and thermal treatment conditions. The cross-linking of the polymer network was confirmed by attenuated total reflectance–Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR), thermal analysis, and swelling behavior. Morphological features were evaluated by atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), while optical properties were investigated by UV–Vis spectroscopy. Undoped films displayed high transparency (~80% transmittance at 400 nm), with thermal cross-linking determined only slight yellowing and negligible changes in absorption edge (300 ± 2 nm). In contrast, CeO2NPs incorporation increased reflectance and introduced a new absorption threshold around 400 ± 2 nm, indicating nanoparticle–matrix interactions that modify optical behavior. Sorption studies with Methylene Blue (MB) and Crystal Violet (CV) dyes highlighted the influence of nanoparticle content and cross-linking on functional performance, with thermally treated samples showing the highest efficiency (~97–98% MB and 71–83% CV removal). Overall, the results demonstrate how structural tailoring and cross-linking control the characteristics of Xn/PVA/CeO2 nanocomposites, providing insight into their design as multifunctional hydrogel materials for environmental applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Properties of Hydrogels, Aerogels, and Cryogels Composites (3rd Edition))
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-2
Back to TopTop