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Gels
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Advances in Cellulose-Based Functional Gels
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Advances in Cellulose-Based Functional Gels

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2023) | Viewed by 3958

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Muhammad Wajid Ullah

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Biofuels Institute, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
Interests: bacterial cellulose; bioprinting; 3D scaffolds; tissue engineering; drug delivery; biosensing; cell-free biosynthesis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Guang Yang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
Interests: medical materials; drug carrier; photoelectric materials; ordered nanomaterial assembly
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Sehrish Manan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
Interests: biomaterials; polysaccharides; genetic engineering; transformation; biofilms; metabolic engineering
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Cellulose, as the most abundant and renewable biopolymer with remarkable structural, morphological, chemical, and biological properties, different forms of cellulose (cellulose nanocrystals, cellulose nanofibers, bacterial cellulose/nanocellulose, microcrystalline cellulose, etc.) and cellulose derivatives are receiving a huge amount of attention due to their potential applications in different fields in the form of hydrogels, aerogels, membranes, papers, particles, films, etc. Moreover, a considerable portion of cellulose-based research is devoted to its production (plants, microorganisms, synthetic), its physical and chemical modification, the tuning of its properties, and advancements in its characterization. This Special Issue aims to compile recent research (research articles, mini- and full-length reviews, and communications) focusing on the synthesis, surface modification, and applications of cellulose in different fields, as well as the development of composites. Topics may include, but are not limited to:

  • The synthesis and purification of different forms of cellulose;
  • Its small- and large-scale production and commercialization (cellulose market and regulatory status);
  • The urface modification of cellulose (physical, chemical);
  • The development of cellulose-based gels, membranes, films, aerogels, hydrogels, fibers, tubes, capsules, sponges, coatings, laminates, papers, etc.;
  • Cellulose-based scaffolds with polymers, nanomaterials, clays, etc.;
  • The structure–function relationship in cellulose-based composites;
  • Biological properties (biocompatibility, biodegradability, immunogenicity, toxicity) and advanced assays;
  • Advancement in characterization techniques;
  • Applications:
    • Tissue engineering and regenerative medicines (skin, bone and cartilage, cardiovascular, neural, ophthalmic, urinary, tympanic membrane, drug delivery);
    • Additive manufacturing (3D/4D printing);
    • Analytical applications (sensors and actuators);
    • Energy applications (supercapacitors, solar cells, etc.);
    • Food applications (packaging: edible films, and coatings);
    • Opto-electronic applications (OLEDs, flexible displays);
    • Environmental applications (membrane filters, water decontamination, the removal of heavy metals);
    • Textile applications;
    • Cosmetics (facial masks);
    • Paper industry (specialty paper);
    • Other applications.

Dr. Muhammad Wajid Ullah
Prof. Dr. Guang Yang
Dr. Sehrish Manan
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 2600 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

  • Cellulose
  • Cellulose nanocrystals
  • Cellulose nanofibers
  • Bacterial cellulose/nanocellulose
  • Cellulose derivatives
  • Cellulose-based composites
  • Cellulose-based hydrogels
  • Cellulose-based aerogels
  • Cellulose-based membranes and films
  • Characterization
  • 3D printing
  • Scaffolds
  • Biocompatibility
  • Tissue engineering
  • Regenerative medicines
  • Skin tissues
  • Bone and cartilage tissues
  • Cardiovascular tissues
  • Ocular tissues

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 2345 KiB  
Article
Formulation and Characterization of Ethyl Cellulose-Based Patches Containing Curcumin-Chitosan Nanoparticles for the Possible Management of Inflammation via Skin Delivery
by Asif Nawaz, Muhammad Shahid Latif, Muhammad Khurshid Alam Shah, Tarek M. Elsayed, Saeed Ahmad and Hamid Ali Khan
Gels 2023, 9(3), 201; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels9030201 - 6 Mar 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1862
Abstract
Curcumin, a natural phenolic compound, exhibits poor absorption and extensive first pass metabolism after oral administration. In the present study, curcumin-chitosan nanoparticles (cur-cs-np) were prepared and incorporated into ethyl cellulose patches for the management of inflammation via skin delivery. Ionic gelation method was [...] Read more.
Curcumin, a natural phenolic compound, exhibits poor absorption and extensive first pass metabolism after oral administration. In the present study, curcumin-chitosan nanoparticles (cur-cs-np) were prepared and incorporated into ethyl cellulose patches for the management of inflammation via skin delivery. Ionic gelation method was used for the preparation of nanoparticles. The prepared nanoparticles were evaluated for size, zetapotential, surface morphology, drug content, and % encapsulation efficiency. The nanoparticles were then incorporated into ethyl cellulose-based patches using solvent evaporation technique. ATR-FTIR was used to study/assess incompatibility between drug and excipients. The prepared patches were evaluated physiochemically. The in vitro release, ex vivo permeation, and skin drug retention studies were carried out using Franz diffusion cells and rat skin as permeable membrane. The prepared nanoparticles were spherical, with particle size in the range of 203–229 nm, zetapotential 25–36 mV, and PDI 0.27–0.29 Mw/Mn. The drug content and %EE were 53% and 59%. Nanoparticles incorporated patches are smooth, flexible, and homogenous. The in vitro release and ex vivo permeation of curcumin from nanoparticles were higher than the patches, whereas the skin retention of curcumin was significantly higher in case of patches. The developed patches deliver cur-cs-np into the skin, where nanoparticles interact with skin negative charges and hence result in higher and prolonged retention in the skin. The higher concentration of drug in the skin helps in better management of inflammation. This was shown by anti-inflammatory activity. The inflammation (volume of paw) was significantly reduced when using patches as compared to nanoparticles. It was concluded that the incorporation of cur-cs-np into ethyl cellulose-based patches results in controlled release and hence enhanced anti-inflammatory activity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Cellulose-Based Functional Gels)
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18 pages, 4063 KiB  
Article
Comparative Study of Physicochemical Properties of Alginate Composite Hydrogels Prepared by the Physical Blending and Electrostatic Assembly Methods
by Yanshi Wen, Xiuqiong Chen, Huiqiong Yan and Qiang Lin
Gels 2022, 8(12), 799; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels8120799 - 5 Dec 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1567
Abstract
Alginate hydrogel commonly suffers from defects, such as weak mechanical properties, the shortage of long-term stability in physiological medium and the lack of mammalian cell adhesivity due to its strong hydrophilicity in biomedical application. For this reason, the homogeneous alginate hydrogels (Alg Gel) [...] Read more.
Alginate hydrogel commonly suffers from defects, such as weak mechanical properties, the shortage of long-term stability in physiological medium and the lack of mammalian cell adhesivity due to its strong hydrophilicity in biomedical application. For this reason, the homogeneous alginate hydrogels (Alg Gel) were successfully prepared by the D-glucono-δ-lactone/hydroxyapatite (HAP/GDL) cross-linking system, and then, the physical blending and alternating electrostatic assembly technology were proposed to fabricate alginate composite hydrogels (Alg-GT, Alg-CS-GT and ALG/GT-CS). The feasibility of the design methods was verified through the comparative analysis of their physicochemical properties and biological activity. In particular, the effects of physical blending and alternating electrostatic assembly technology on the pore structure, mechanical properties, swelling, degradation, cell adhesion and proliferation of composite hydrogels were also investigated. Experimental results showed that the formation of polyelectrolyte complexes by electrostatic assembly between biological macromolecules and the covalent cross-linking of EDC/NHS to GT improved the vulnerability of ion cross-linking, enhanced the mechanical properties and swelling stability of the composite hydrogels, and regulated their pore structure and in vitro biodegradability properties. Furthermore, MC3T3-E1 cells could exhibit good cell adhesion, cell viability and cell proliferation on the alginate composite hydrogels. Among them, Alg-CS-GT showed the best cell proliferation ability and differentiation effect due to its good cell adhesion. In view of the excellent physicochemical properties and biological activity of Alg-CS-GT, it exhibited great potential in biomedical application for tissue engineering. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Cellulose-Based Functional Gels)
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