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Polymers
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Polymer-Based Hydrogel Materials
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Polymer-Based Hydrogel Materials

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Biobased and Biodegradable Polymers".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 October 2023) | Viewed by 8224

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Joanne O'Dwyer

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Anatomy and Regenerative Medicine Institute (REMEDI), School of Medicine, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
Interests: drug delivery; hydrogels; nanoaprticles; microparticles; sustained release
Dr. Tapas Mitra

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Anatomy and Regenerative Medicine Institute (REMEDI), School of Medicine, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
Interests: biomaterial; hydrogel; drug delivery; biopolymer; chemical engineering; polymeric materials; controlled release
Dr. Tamer M. Shehata

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Clinical Pharmacy, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa 31982, Saudi Arabia
Interests: nanoemulsion; drug delivery; transdermal; nanoemulgel; industrial pharmacy

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The aim of this Special Issue is to publish the most significant advances in current hydrogel science and technology, with particular focus on novel hydrogel synthesis methods and advances in the design and use of hydrogels for biomedical applications. Papers providing previously unknown fundamental insights into hydrogel behaviour are also welcome.

We hope that this Special Issue will act as a compendium of the most recent developments in hydrogels for biomedical applications, and a resource for scientists working towards further advancements in hydrogel polymer science.

The scope of the Special Issue includes the following:

  1. Bio-hybrid polymer design.
  2. 3D printed hydrogel scaffolds.
  3. Responsive hydrogel materials.
  4. Hydrogel materials for controlled delivery.
  5. New and innovative technologies for hydrogel development.

Dr. Joanne O'Dwyer
Dr. Tapas Mitra
Dr. Tamer M. Shehata
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. 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.

Keywords

  • hydrogel
  • bio-hybrid polymer
  • responsive material
  • controlled delivery system
  • conjugation chemistry

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

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 6348 KiB  
Article
Strategies for Developing Shape-Shifting Behaviours and Potential Applications of Poly (N-vinyl Caprolactam) Hydrogels
by Shuo Zhuo, Billy Shu Hieng Tie, Gavin Keane and Luke M. Geever
Polymers 2023, 15(6), 1511; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15061511 - 18 Mar 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1814
Abstract
Stimuli-responsive hydrogels are one type of smart hydrogel, which can expand/contract in water according to changes in the surrounding environment. However, it is difficult to develop flexible shapeshifting behaviours by using a single hydrogel material. This study exploited a new method to utilise [...] Read more.
Stimuli-responsive hydrogels are one type of smart hydrogel, which can expand/contract in water according to changes in the surrounding environment. However, it is difficult to develop flexible shapeshifting behaviours by using a single hydrogel material. This study exploited a new method to utilise single and bilayer structures to allow hydrogel-based materials to exhibit controllable shape-shifting behaviours. Although other studies have demonstrated similar transformation behaviours, this is the first report of such smart materials developed using photopolymerised N-vinyl caprolactam (NVCL)-based polymers. Our contribution provides a straightforward method in the fabrication of deformable structures. In the presence of water, the bending behaviours (vertex-to-vertex and edge-to-edge) were achieved in monolayer squares. By controlling the content and combination of the NVCL solutions with elastic resin, the bilayer strips were prepared. The expected reversible self-bending and self-helixing behaviours were achieved in specific types of samples. In addition, by limiting the expansion time of the bilayer, the layered flower samples exhibited predictable self-curving shape transformation behaviour in at least three cycles of testing. These structures displayed the capacity of self-transformation, and the value and functionality of the produced components are reflected in this paper. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer-Based Hydrogel Materials)
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19 pages, 4126 KiB  
Article
Evaluating Antimicrobial Activity and Wound Healing Effect of Rod-Shaped Nanoparticles
by Wafaa E. Soliman, Heba S. Elsewedy, Nancy S. Younis, Pottathil Shinu, Lamis E. Elsawy and Heba A. Ramadan
Polymers 2022, 14(13), 2637; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14132637 - 28 Jun 2022
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 2998 | Correction
Abstract
Presently, the nanotechnology approach has gained a great concern in the media of drug delivery. Gold nanoparticles (Au-NPs) specially having a non-spherical structure, such as gold nanorods (GNR), are attracting much interest as antibacterial agent and many other medical fields. The aim of [...] Read more.
Presently, the nanotechnology approach has gained a great concern in the media of drug delivery. Gold nanoparticles (Au-NPs) specially having a non-spherical structure, such as gold nanorods (GNR), are attracting much interest as antibacterial agent and many other medical fields. The aim of the current investigation was to characterize Au-NPs and investigate their antimicrobial and wound healing efficacy in diabetic animals. Material and methods: Au-NPs were characterized using a UV-Vis spectrophotometer, estimating their particle size, polydispersity (PDI), and assessing their morphological characters. Further, Au-NPs were estimated for their antibacterial and antifungal behavior. Ultimately, in vivo activity of Au-NPs was evaluated against excision wound healing in STZ-induced diabetic animals. Results: Au-NPs were found to show maximum absorption at 520 nm. They exhibited a particle size of 82.57 nm with a PDI value of 0.323. Additionally, they exhibited good antimicrobial activity against different bacterial strains. Topical application of Au-NPs caused a significantly increased percentage of wound area reduction, lesser time needed for epithelialization, and augmented hydroxyproline, collagen, and hexosamine levels demonstrating enhanced healing processes. Furthermore, Au-NPs displayed a significant intensification in angiogenesis-related factors (HIF-1α, TGF-β1, and VEGF), and antioxidant enzymes activities (CAT, SOD, GPx) as well as mitigated inflammatory mediators IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α, and NF-κB) and lipid peroxidation (MDA). Conclusion: Au-NPs exhibited proper particle size, and rod-shaped particles, with efficient antimicrobial behavior against different bacterial strains. Furthermore, Au-NPs demonstrated a promising wound healing activity in STZ-induced diabetic animals. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer-Based Hydrogel Materials)
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15 pages, 2170 KiB  
Article
Shea Butter Potentiates the Anti-Bacterial Activity of Fusidic Acid Incorporated into Solid Lipid Nanoparticle
by Heba S. Elsewedy, Tamer M. Shehata and Wafaa E. Soliman
Polymers 2022, 14(12), 2436; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14122436 - 16 Jun 2022
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2626
Abstract
Fusidic acid (FA) is an efficient anti-bacterial drug proven to be efficient against a wide range of bacteria. Nevertheless, the main restriction in its formulation is the limited solubility. To avoid such an obstacle, the drug is incorporated into the lipid core of [...] Read more.
Fusidic acid (FA) is an efficient anti-bacterial drug proven to be efficient against a wide range of bacteria. Nevertheless, the main restriction in its formulation is the limited solubility. To avoid such an obstacle, the drug is incorporated into the lipid core of the nanolipid formulation. Consequently, the present study was an attempt to formulate nanolipid preparation, mainly, solid lipid nanoparticle (SLN) integrating FA. FA-SLN was prepared using shea butter as a lipid phase owing to its reported anti-bacterial activity. Different FA-SLNs were fabricated using the central composite design (CCD) approach. The optimized formula was selected and integrated into a hydrogel base to be efficiently used topically. FA-SLN-hydrogel was evaluated for its character, morphology, in vitro release and stability. The formula was examined for irritation reaction and finally evaluated for its anti-bacterial performance. The optimized formula showed particle size 283.83 nm and entrapment 73.057%. The formulated FA-SLN-hydrogel displayed pH 6.2, viscosity 15,610 cP, spreadability 51.1 mm and in vitro release 64.6% following 180 min. FA-SLN-hydrogel showed good stability for three months at different conditions (room temperature and refrigerator). It exhibited no irritation reaction on the treated rats. Eventually, shea butter displayed a noteworthy effect against bacterial growth that improved the effect of FA. This would indicate prospective anti-bacterial activity of FA when combined with shea butter in SLN formulation as a promising nanocarrier. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer-Based Hydrogel Materials)
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