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Gels
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Chemical Properties and Application of Gel Materials
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Chemical Properties and Application of Gel Materials

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 November 2024 | Viewed by 3193

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Jiahui Liu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Materials Science and Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29625, USA
Interests: stimuli-responsive materials; hydrogels; adhesives; self-healing materials; polyelectrolyte
Dr. Wen Sun

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116023, China
Interests: photoresponsive polymers; drug delivery nanoparticles; biological gel
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Xiaolong Zeng

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
DWI—Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials, Institute of Technical and Macromolecular Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany
Interests: 3D-printed hydrogel; sonocatalysis; mechanochemistry; photochemistry

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue on “Chemical Properties and Application of Gel Materials” is dedicated to exploring the unique chemical properties of gel materials as well as their diverse applications across a wide range of fields, from healthcare to the food industry and from environmental remediation to advanced electronic devices. Understanding how the chemical components govern gel formation, microstructure, and mechanical properties is essential for harnessing their full potential in specific applications. In this Special Issue, we invite contributions exploring the structure–property relationships of gel materials, shedding light on their synthesis, characterization, and manipulation. Researchers are encouraged to explore the molecular interactions, cross-linking mechanisms, and stimulus-responsive behaviors that define gel properties. Additionally, investigations into novel gel-forming materials and innovative synthesis techniques are welcomed to broaden our understanding and expand the range of available gel materials. In addition to elucidating gel materials' chemical and physical properties, contributions exploring the use of gel materials in drug delivery systems, tissue engineering, environmental remediation, food science, cosmetics, and advanced electronic devices are highly encouraged. This Special Issue aims to provide an interdisciplinary discussion and inspire further advancements in this field by highlighting the theoretical foundations and applications of gel materials. We believe that this Special Issue will present a valuable platform for researchers to exchange ideas, share insights, and catalyze innovation for gel materials. Join us in exploring the rich chemical landscape of gels and unlocking their boundless potential to address technological challenges.

Dr. Jiahui Liu
Dr. Wen Sun
Dr. Xiaolong Zeng
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 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

  • soft materials
  • gel materials
  • synthesis and characterization
  • structure–property relationships

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 7042 KiB  
Article
Sol–Gel Synthesis of TiO2 with Pectin and Their Efficiency in Solar Cells Sensitized by Quantum Dots
by Jean Flores-Gómez, Silvia Mota-Macías, Juan P. Guerrero-Jiménez, Victor Hugo Romero-Arellano and Juan Morales-Rivera
Gels 2024, 10(7), 470; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels10070470 - 17 Jul 2024
Viewed by 733
Abstract
In this study, titanium oxide TiO2 nanoparticles were produced using the sol–gel approach of green synthesis with pectin as the reducing agent. The synthetized TiO2 nanoparticles with pectin were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), visible light absorption [...] Read more.
In this study, titanium oxide TiO2 nanoparticles were produced using the sol–gel approach of green synthesis with pectin as the reducing agent. The synthetized TiO2 nanoparticles with pectin were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), visible light absorption (UV–Vis) and the BET method. The structure and morphology of the TiO2 powder were described with SEM, revealing uniform monodisperse grains with a distribution of 80% regarding sizes < 250 nm; the resulting crystal phase of synthetized TiO2 was identified as an anatase and rutile phase with a crystallinity size estimated between 27 and 40 nm. Also, the surface area was determined by nitrogen adsorption–desorption using the Brown–Emmet–Teller method, with a surface area calculated as 19.56 m2/g, typical of an IV type isotherm, indicating mesoporous NPs. UV–Vis spectra showed that sol–gel synthesis reduced the band gap from the 3.2 eV common value to 2.22 eV after estimating the optical band gap energy using the adsorption coefficient; this translates to a possible extended photo response to the visible region, improving photoactivity. In addition, the power conversion of the photoelectrode was compared based on similar assembly techniques of TiO2 electrode deposition. Quantum dot crystals were deposited ionically on the electrode surface, as two different paste formulations based on a pectin emulsifier were studied for layer deposition. The results confirm that the TiO2 paste with TiO2-synthesized powder maintained good connections between the nanocrystalline mesoporous grains and the deposited layers, with an efficiency of 1.23% with the transparent paste and 2.27% with the opaque paste. These results suggest that pectin could be used as a low-cost, functional sol–gel catalysis agent for the synthesis of controlled NPs of metal oxide. It demonstrates interesting optical properties, such as an increase in photo response, suggesting further applications to photocatalysts and biomedical features. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemical Properties and Application of Gel Materials)
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15 pages, 4651 KiB  
Article
Influence of Thermal Treatment on the Chemical and Structural Properties of Geopolymer Gels Doped with Nd2O3 and Sm2O3
by Miloš Nenadović, Sanja Knežević, Marija Ivanović, Snežana Nenadović, Danilo Kisić, Maja Popović and Jelena Potočnik
Gels 2024, 10(7), 468; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels10070468 - 17 Jul 2024
Viewed by 562
Abstract
In this research, the influence of the thermal treatment of geopolymer gels at 300 °C, 600 °C and 900 °C when incorporated with 5% rare earth elements (REEs) in the form of (GP-Sm) Sm2O3 and (GP-Nd) Nd2O3 [...] Read more.
In this research, the influence of the thermal treatment of geopolymer gels at 300 °C, 600 °C and 900 °C when incorporated with 5% rare earth elements (REEs) in the form of (GP-Sm) Sm2O3 and (GP-Nd) Nd2O3 was investigated. Changes in the chemical and structural properties of the geopolymer gels during thermal treatment for 1 h were monitored. Physico-chemical characterization was performed using the following methods: diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS), scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectrometry (SEM-EDS), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Besides the characterization of the fundamental properties, some practical macroscopic properties were analyzed as well: sorptivity, open porosity, and Archimedean density. The stretching vibrations of Nd–O–Si and Sm–O–Si were confirmed at a value of around 680 cm−1and an Nd–O–Si absorption band at a higher value, together with the most dominant band of Si–O stretching vibration similar for all the samples. No significant chemical changes occurred. Structural analysis showed that for GP-Nd, the largest pore diameter was obtained at 900 °C, while for GP-Sm, the largest pore diameter was obtained at 600 °C. EDS confirmed the amount of dopant to be about 5%. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy showed that for GP-Nd, the ratio of Si and Al changed the most, while for GP-Sm, the ratio of Si and Al decreased with increasing temperature. The contributions of both dopants in the GP-gel structure remained almost unchanged and stable at high temperatures. The atomic percentages obtained by XPS analysis were in accordance with the expected trend; the amount of Si increased with the temperature, while the amount of Al decreased with increasing temperature. The sorptivity and open porosity showed the highest values at 600 °C, while the density of both geopolymers decreased linearly with increasing temperature. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemical Properties and Application of Gel Materials)
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12 pages, 3682 KiB  
Communication
Assessment of Alginate Gel Films as the Orodispersible Dosage Form for Meloxicam
by Barbara Jadach, Martyna Kowalczyk and Anna Froelich
Gels 2024, 10(6), 379; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels10060379 - 2 Jun 2024
Viewed by 529
Abstract
The aim of this study was to obtain films based on sodium alginate (SA) for disintegration in the oral cavity. The films were prepared with a solvent-casting method, and meloxicam (MLX) as the active ingredient was suspended in a 3% sodium alginate solution. [...] Read more.
The aim of this study was to obtain films based on sodium alginate (SA) for disintegration in the oral cavity. The films were prepared with a solvent-casting method, and meloxicam (MLX) as the active ingredient was suspended in a 3% sodium alginate solution. Two different solid-dosage-form additives containing different disintegrating agents, i.e., VIVAPUR 112® (MCC; JRS Pharma, Rosenberg, Germany) and Prosolve EASYtabs SP® (MIX; JRS Pharma, Rosenberg, Germany), were used, and four different combinations of drying time and temperature were tested. The influence of the used disintegrant on the properties of the ODFs (orodispersible films) was investigated. The obtained films were studied for their appearance, elasticity, mass uniformity, water content, meloxicam content and, finally, disintegration time, which was studied using two different methods. The films obtained with the solvent-casting method were flexible and homogeneous in terms of MLX content. Elasticity was slightly better when MIX was used as a disintegrating agent. However, these samples also revealed worse uniformity and mechanical durability. It was concluded that the best properties of the films were achieved using the mildest drying conditions. The type of the disintegrating agent had no effect on the amount of water remaining in the film after drying. The water content depended on the drying conditions. The disintegration time was not affected by the disintegrant type, but some differences were observed when various drying conditions were applied. However, regardless of the formulation type and manufacturing conditions, the analyzed films could not be classified as fast disintegrating films, as the disintegration time exceeded 30 s in all of the tested formulations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemical Properties and Application of Gel Materials)
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18 pages, 7250 KiB  
Article
Study of the Synthesis of Multi-Cationic Sm-Co-O, Sm-Ni-O, Al-Co-O, Al-Ni-O, and Al-Co-Ni-O Aerogels and Their Catalytic Activity in the Dry Reforming of Methane
by Jaroslav Cihlar, Serhii Tkachenko, Vendula Bednarikova, Jaroslav Cihlar, Jr., Klara Castkova, Martin Trunec and Ladislav Celko
Gels 2024, 10(5), 328; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels10050328 - 11 May 2024
Viewed by 902
Abstract
Dense multi-cationic Sm-Co-O, Sm-Ni-O, Al-Co-O, Al-Ni-O, and Al-Ni-Co-O oxide aerogels were prepared by epoxide-driven sol–gel synthesis. Catalysts for dry reformation of methane, Sm2O3/Co, Sm2O3/Ni, Al2O3/Co, Al2O3/Ni, Al [...] Read more.
Dense multi-cationic Sm-Co-O, Sm-Ni-O, Al-Co-O, Al-Ni-O, and Al-Ni-Co-O oxide aerogels were prepared by epoxide-driven sol–gel synthesis. Catalysts for dry reformation of methane, Sm2O3/Co, Sm2O3/Ni, Al2O3/Co, Al2O3/Ni, Al2O3/Co, and Ni were prepared by reduction of aerogels with hydrogen and their catalytic activities and C-deposition during dry reformation of methane were tested. Catalytic tests showed high methane conversion (93–98%) and C-deposition (0.01–4.35 mg C/gcat.h). The highest content of C-deposits after catalytic tests was determined for Al2O3/Co and Al2O3/Ni catalysts, which was related to the formation of Al alloys with Co and Ni. A uniform distribution of Co0 and Ni0 nanoparticles (in the form of a CoNi alloy) was found only for the Al2O3/Co and Ni catalysts, which showed the highest activity as well as low C deposition. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemical Properties and Application of Gel Materials)
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