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Gels
Special Issues
Synthesis, Properties, and Applications of Novel Polymer-Based Gels (2nd Edition)
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Synthesis, Properties, and Applications of Novel Polymer-Based Gels (2nd Edition)

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2026 | Viewed by 1041

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Peng Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Water Conservancy and Transportation, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
Interests: polymer gels; geopolymer composite; cementitious composite; fiber reinforced concrete; high performance concrete; mechanical property; durability; fracture property
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Yuanxun Zheng

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Water Conservancy and Transportation, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
Interests: recycled concrete; performance improvement; materials durability; fiber-reinforced; nano-modification
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Zhen Gao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Water Conservancy and Transportation, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
Interests: geopolymer concrete; high performance concrete; mechanical behavior; microstructure; numerical analysis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Building on the success of the first edition, we are excited to launch a broader second edition of our Special Issue.

Synthesis, Properties, and Applications of Novel Polymer-Based Gels

Recent advancements in polymer science have led to the development of novel polymer-based gels with unique properties and diverse applications. These gels are synthesized through various methods, including free-radical polymerization, click chemistry, and supramolecular assembly, allowing precise control over their structure and functionality. Key innovations include stimuli-responsive hydrogels that adapt to environmental changes (e.g., pH, temperature, or light), self-healing gels with dynamic covalent bonds, and nanocomposite gels reinforced with nanoparticles or 2D materials for enhanced mechanical strength.

These gels exhibit exceptional properties, such as high elasticity, tunable porosity, and biocompatibility, making them suitable for applications in drug delivery, tissue engineering, soft robotics, and wastewater treatment. Such applications involve hydrogels incorporated or encapsulated with healing agents, the interaction between hydrogels and the cementitious matrix, self-healing mechanisms, and the impact of hydrogels on self-healing in cement, alkali-activated materials, and supplementary cementitious materials. For instance, conductive polymer gels are being explored for flexible electronics, while biodegradable polysaccharide-based gels are gaining traction in sustainable packaging and agriculture.

Despite their potential, challenges remain in scalability, long-term stability, and cost-effective production. Given the breadth of the field, this Special Issue will feature only a select few exemplary papers, recognizing that it is impossible to encompass all aspects of polymer gels in a single publication. We hope that these topics will inspire new research and discoveries in the field of polymer gels.

Prof. Dr. Peng Zhang
Prof. Dr. Yuanxun Zheng
Dr. Zhen Gao
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

  • polymer gels
  • stimuli-responsive
  • self-healing
  • nanocomposite
  • drug delivery
  • tissue engineering
  • soft robotics
  • wastewater treatment
  • cementitious matrix
  • flexible electronics
  • sustainable packaging
  • agriculture

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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

23 pages, 10066 KB  
Article
Role of Air-Entraining Agent in Frost Resistance and Water Absorption Prediction for Gel-Modified Coal Gangue Concrete
by Ruicong Han, Xiaoning Guo, Junfeng Guan, Min Zhang, Shuanghua He and Bin Liu
Gels 2026, 12(4), 318; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels12040318 - 8 Apr 2026
Viewed by 132
Abstract
Due to the high water absorption of coal gangue aggregate, concrete prepared with a high content of this material exhibits a significantly reduced service life under freeze–thaw conditions. This study evaluates the frost resistance of gel-enhanced coal gangue aggregate concrete modified by incorporating [...] Read more.
Due to the high water absorption of coal gangue aggregate, concrete prepared with a high content of this material exhibits a significantly reduced service life under freeze–thaw conditions. This study evaluates the frost resistance of gel-enhanced coal gangue aggregate concrete modified by incorporating nano-SiO2 and polypropylene fibre (PPF) to generate more C-S-H gel and form a dense structure with different dosages of air-entraining agent (0, 0.004%, 0.008%, 0.012%, and 0.016%). The research results show that when the admixture content is 0.012%, the concrete still exhibits excellent frost resistance after 100 freeze–thaw cycles. The mass loss is only 4.7%, compressive strength loss is 37%, and dynamic elastic modulus loss is 39%, while the specimen maintains the best apparent integrity. In addition, the capillary water absorption rate, initial capillary water absorption rate, and cumulative water absorption all reach their lowest values under this condition, indicating optimal frost resistance performance. Finally, through regression analysis, a highly accurate predictive model for capillary water absorption was established, providing a theoretical basis for further research on the durability and frost resistance of coal gangue aggregate concrete. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Synthesis, Properties, and Applications of Novel Polymer-Based Gels (2nd Edition))
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21 pages, 7217 KB  
Article
Investigating Reinforcing and Cracking Resistance Behaviors of Waste Sweet Potato Vine Straw Fiber (WSVF) in Gel-like Base Asphalt
by Chenze Fang, Zhenxia Li, Yuanzhao Chen, Xu Guo, Hui Li, Naisheng Guo, Zongyuan Wu, Jingyu Yang and Tengteng Guo
Gels 2026, 12(3), 239; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels12030239 - 13 Mar 2026
Viewed by 263
Abstract
Waste sweet potato vine fiber (WSVF) effectively extends asphalt service life by enhancing cracking resistance in gel-like base asphalt matrices, yet its crack-resistant mechanism lacks mechanical characterization. This study proposes an analytical method for evaluating WSVF-modified asphalt’s crack-resistant behavior based on the principle [...] Read more.
Waste sweet potato vine fiber (WSVF) effectively extends asphalt service life by enhancing cracking resistance in gel-like base asphalt matrices, yet its crack-resistant mechanism lacks mechanical characterization. This study proposes an analytical method for evaluating WSVF-modified asphalt’s crack-resistant behavior based on the principle of mechanical energy balance. First, alkali-treated WSVF with a mass fraction of 1% was added into 70# gel-like base asphalt to prepare WSVF-modified asphalt. Lignin fiber (LF)-modified asphalt and 70# gel-like base asphalt were selected as control groups, and three types of time sweep and scanning electron microscopy tests were conducted. Then, the three-dimensional cracking volume model and damage kinetics model were established for analyzing the cracking response behavior, defining the asphalt damage variable and determining the cracking damage activation energy (Eacd). Finally, the Eacd was used to quantify the difficulty of the cracking damage process for the WSVF-modified asphalt. The reinforcement and cracking resistance mechanisms of WSVF in asphalt were analyzed by the Eacd and asphalt microstructure. The results show that the cracking volume response of WSVF-modified asphalt under cyclic loading presents three-stage nonlinear behaviors. The established fatigue damage kinetics model can accurately describe the fatigue damage evolution process of alkali-treated WSVF-modified asphalt. The Eacd values of WSVF-modified asphalt, LF-modified asphalt, and 70# gel-like base asphalt are 10.60 kJ·mol−1, 21.83 kJ·mol−1, and 29.74 kJ·mol−1, respectively. After alkali treatment, the WSVF surface exhibits grooves, demonstrating superior adsorption and storage capacity for asphalt. The WSVF can cross link through the bonding effect of asphalt and form a three-dimensional network framework structure, which can significantly increase the Eacd and provide strengthening and toughening effects on gel-like base asphalt. In summary, Eacd values are used as a mechanical indicator to quantitatively evaluate the fatigue cracking resistance of WSVF-modified asphalt. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Synthesis, Properties, and Applications of Novel Polymer-Based Gels (2nd Edition))
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25 pages, 4581 KB  
Article
Prediction of Impact Resistance of Nano-SiO2 and Hybrid Fiber Modified Geopolymer Gel Concrete in Marine Wet–Thermal and Chloride Salt Environment
by Canhua Lai, Peng Zhang, Xiaobing Dai and Yuanxun Zheng
Gels 2026, 12(3), 215; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels12030215 - 5 Mar 2026
Viewed by 377
Abstract
The oceanic wet–thermal and chloride salt environment creates extremely harsh service conditions for marine infrastructures. As a green construction material, geopolymer concrete has a promising application prospect in marine engineering due to its excellent durability. The impact resistance of geopolymer concrete subjected to [...] Read more.
The oceanic wet–thermal and chloride salt environment creates extremely harsh service conditions for marine infrastructures. As a green construction material, geopolymer concrete has a promising application prospect in marine engineering due to its excellent durability. The impact resistance of geopolymer concrete subjected to wet–thermal and chloride salt environment is of great significance for the durability and quality of marine engineering structures. This study uses nano-SiO2 (NS) and hybrid fibers (HF) to enhance the impact resistance of geopolymer gel concrete (GPC). Radial basis function (RBF) and back-propagation (BP) composite neural networks are used to predict the impact resistance of NS and HF-reinforced geopolymer gel concrete (NSHFGPC). The impact resistance of NSHFGPC specimens is characterized by two indicators: the cumulative number of repeated impact blows required to initiate the first visible crack (N1) and the cumulative number of impact blows corresponding to ultimate failure (N2). To evaluate the durability of NSHFGPC under oceanic conditions, specimens were exposed to a simulated marine environment within a simulation test chamber for 60 days prior to impact testing. The 60-day duration was selected to achieve a sufficient level of chloride penetration and matrix aging. Based on the resulting experimental database, an RBF-BP neural network was constructed to predict the material’s impact resistance. In this study, grid search and K-fold cross-validation were employed to select the optimal hyperparameters. Compared to standalone RBF and BP models, the RBF-BP network demonstrated superior performance, achieving R2 values of 0.900 and 0.922. These results represent improvements of 20.18% and 11.18% over the standalone RBF model, respectively. Consequently, the RBF-BP algorithm serves as an experimental tool for predicting NSHFGPC impact resistance and guiding future mix design optimization. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Synthesis, Properties, and Applications of Novel Polymer-Based Gels (2nd Edition))
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