Multifunctional Hydrogels Based on Natural Polymers

Dear Colleagues,

Hydrogels, with their three-dimensional (3D) polymeric structures, can be tailored to various applications, including controlled drug delivery, tissue engineering, wastewater treatment, food packaging, flexible electronics, soft actuators, or soft robotic systems developed through 3D printing. The demand for hydrogels with specific 3D structures and uses in advanced applications has led to a constant increase in their design requirements, regarding the use of certain types of polymers and the achievement of materials with special mechanical properties or with responses to different external stimuli. Concerted research efforts have been made to prepare functional and smart hydrogels, which present biocompatibility, biodegradability, bioadhesion, adjustable mechanical properties, self-healing, shape memory, etc. In this regard, hydrogels based on natural polymers have gained significant attention in recent years due to their unique physicochemical properties, non-toxic nature, similar properties to those of the natural extracellular matrix (ECM), and ability to support cell adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation. This Special Issue aims to bring together contributions from experts in this field, covering topics ranging from fundamental advances in hydrogels based on natural polymers to practical applications in various fields. We invite you to submit original research or critical reviews related to any relevant research area for this Special Issue.

Dr. Diana Elena Ciolacu
Guest Editor

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-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Polymers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2700 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.