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Gels
Special Issues
Rheological Properties and Applications of Gel-Based Materials
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Rheological Properties and Applications of Gel-Based Materials

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2024 | Viewed by 1378

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Jungbin Ahn

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
Interests: polymer physics; natural polymer; carbon materials; hydrothermal carbonization; nanocomposite
Prof. Dr. Rama Bansil

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Materials Science and Engineering Division, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
Interests: mucin and mucus gelation; phase transitions in biological and synthetic gels; diffusion of particles and polymers in gels; motility of bacteria in gels; block copolymer gels; kinetics of gelation; light, X-ray, neutron and dynamic light scattering and rheological methods applied to gels

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Gels, composed of crosslinked polymer networks, are integral to fields such as medicine, cosmetics, and the food industry. The physical or chemical crosslinking of the gel system determines the mechanical features and stability and dictates the specific applications of gel-based materials. The mechanism of crosslinking and the interactions among polymers, solvents, and additives in the system play a crucial role in this context. Rheological analysis quantitatively assesses these interactions, revealing how variations in polymer gel composition impact overall performance. Understanding the rheological features of gel-based materials enhances the ability to tailor gel properties to meet specific demands, ensuring desired performance in intended applications.

This Special Issue of Gels, titled “Rheological Properties and Applications of Gel-Based Materials”, delves into the creation of gels through diverse interactions within polymer networks. Papers should provide a deep analysis of the rheological properties of gel-based materials and explore extensive applications aligned with the characteristics, thereby offering valuable insights for optimizing and applying gel-based materials across various industries.

Dr. Jungbin Ahn
Prof. Dr. Rama Bansil
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

  • gel-based materials
  • rheological analysis
  • nanocomposite

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 3195 KiB  
Article
Reinforcement of Dextran Methacrylate-Based Hydrogel, Semi-IPN, and IPN with Multivalent Crosslinkers
by Luca Paoletti, Gianluca Ferrigno, Nicole Zoratto, Daniela Secci, Chiara Di Meo and Pietro Matricardi
Gels 2024, 10(12), 773; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels10120773 - 27 Nov 2024
Viewed by 338
Abstract
The need for new biomaterials to meet the needs of advanced healthcare therapies is constantly increasing. Polysaccharide-based matrices are considered extremely promising because of their biocompatibility and soft structure; however, their use is limited by their poor mechanical properties. In this light, a [...] Read more.
The need for new biomaterials to meet the needs of advanced healthcare therapies is constantly increasing. Polysaccharide-based matrices are considered extremely promising because of their biocompatibility and soft structure; however, their use is limited by their poor mechanical properties. In this light, a strategy for the reinforcement of dextran-based hydrogels and interpenetrated polymer networks (semi-IPNs and IPNs) is proposed, which will introduce multifunctional crosslinkers that can modify the network crosslinking density. Hydrogels were prepared via dextran methacrylation (DexMa), followed by UV photocrosslinking in the presence of diacrylate (NPGDA), triacrylate (TMPTA), and tetraacrylate (PETA) crosslinkers at different concentrations. The effect of these molecules was also tested on DexMa-gellan semi-IPN (DexMa/Ge) and, later, on IPN (DexMa/CaGe), obtained after solvent exchange with CaCl2 in HEPES and the resulting Ge gelation. Mechanical properties were investigated via rheological and dynamic mechanical analyses to assess the rigidity, resistance, and strength of the systems. Our findings support the use of crosslinkers with different functionality to modulate the properties of polysaccharide-based scaffolds, making them suitable for various biomedical applications. While no significative difference is observed on enriched semi-IPN, a clear improvement is visible on DexMa and DexMa/CaGe systems when TMPTA and NPGDA crosslinker are introduced at higher concentrations, respectively. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rheological Properties and Applications of Gel-Based Materials)
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11 pages, 3471 KiB  
Article
Cellulose Fiber with Enhanced Mechanical Properties: The Role of Co-Solvents in Gel-like NMMO System
by Suhnue Kim, Darae Lee and Hyungsup Kim
Gels 2024, 10(9), 607; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels10090607 - 23 Sep 2024
Viewed by 816
Abstract
Cellulose has garnered attention in the textile industry, but it exhibits limitations in applications that require high strength and modulus. In this study, regenerated cellulose fiber with enhanced mechanical properties was fabricated from a gel-like N-methylmorpholine N-oxide (NMMO)–cellulose solution by modulating the intermolecular [...] Read more.
Cellulose has garnered attention in the textile industry, but it exhibits limitations in applications that require high strength and modulus. In this study, regenerated cellulose fiber with enhanced mechanical properties was fabricated from a gel-like N-methylmorpholine N-oxide (NMMO)–cellulose solution by modulating the intermolecular interaction and conformation of the cellulose chains. To control the interaction, two types of co-solvents (dimethyl acetamide (DMAc) and dimethyl formamide (DMF)) were added to the cellulose solutions at varying concentrations (10, 20, and 30 wt%). Rheological analysis showed that the co-solvents reduced the solution viscosity by weakening intermolecular interactions. The calculated distance parameter (Ra) in Hansen space confirmed that the co-solvent disrupted intermolecular hydrogen bonding within cellulose chains. The solutions were spun into fiber via a simple wet spinning process and were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and universal testing machine (UTM). The addition of co-solvent led to an increased crystallinity index (C.I.) owing to the extended cellulose chains. The modulus of the resulting fiber was increased when the co-solvent concentration was 10 wt%, regardless of the co-solvent type. This study demonstrates the potential for enhancing the mechanical properties of cellulose-based products by modulating the conformation and interaction of cellulose chains through the addition of co-solvent. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rheological Properties and Applications of Gel-Based Materials)
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