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Functional Hydrogels: Design, Properties and Applications
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Functional Hydrogels: Design, Properties and Applications

A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Soft Matter".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 November 2024 | Viewed by 1988

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Zhihui Qin

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Hebei Key Laboratory of Applied Chemistry, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, China
Interests: soft matter; hydrogel; flexible sensor; elastomer

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Hydrogels are three-dimensional polymeric networks that can absorb and retain a large amount of water or biological fluids, making them suitable for a variety of applications in the fields of biomedical engineering, drug delivery, tissue engineering, and electronic skin. The aim of this Special Issue is to bring together researchers and practitioners from different fields to share their knowledge and expertise on the design, properties, and applications of hydrogels.

The Special Issue covers a broad range of topics related to hydrogel design, properties, and applications. Some of the key themes include the design and synthesis of hydrogels with tailored properties for specific applications, the properties of hydrogels and their applications in various fields, and the development of new methods for characterizing and analyzing hydrogels. The articles in this Special Issue provide valuable insights for researchers and practitioners working in this area and highlight the exciting opportunities for future research in this field.

We welcome submissions of original research articles, review articles, and short communications that focus on the design, properties, and applications of hydrogels. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

  • Synthesis and characterization of hydrogels;
  • Hydrogels for drug delivery and tissue engineering;
  • Hydrogels for biosensors and other sensing applications;
  • Hydrogels for wastewater treatment and environmental applications;
  • Novel methods for characterizing and analyzing hydrogels;
  • Biocompatibility and biodegradability of hydrogels.

Dr. Zhihui Qin
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 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. Materials 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 2600 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

  • functional hydrogels
  • drug delivery
  • tissue engineering
  • biosensors
  • wastewater treatment
  • flexible sensors

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 7848 KiB  
Article
Comparative Analysis of Crosslinking Methods and Their Impact on the Physicochemical Properties of SA/PVA Hydrogels
by Konrad Niewiadomski, Daniel Szopa, Katarzyna Pstrowska, Paulina Wróbel and Anna Witek-Krowiak
Materials 2024, 17(8), 1816; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17081816 - 15 Apr 2024
Viewed by 518
Abstract
Hydrogels, versatile materials used in various applications such as medicine, possess properties crucial for their specific applications, significantly influenced by their preparation methods. This study synthesized 18 different types of hydrogels using sodium alginate (SA) and two molecular weights of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). [...] Read more.
Hydrogels, versatile materials used in various applications such as medicine, possess properties crucial for their specific applications, significantly influenced by their preparation methods. This study synthesized 18 different types of hydrogels using sodium alginate (SA) and two molecular weights of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). Crosslinking agents such as aqueous solutions of calcium (Ca2+) and copper (Cu2+) ions and solutions of these ions in boric acid were utilized. The hydrogels were subjected to compression strength tests and drying kinetics analysis. Additionally, six hydrogel variants containing larger PVA particles underwent Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) post-drying. Some samples were lyophilized, and their surface morphology was examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results indicate that the choice of crosslinking method significantly impacts the physicochemical properties of the hydrogels. Crosslinking in solutions with higher concentrations of crosslinking ions enhanced mechanical properties and thermal stability. Conversely, using copper ions instead of calcium resulted in slower drying kinetics and reduced thermal stability. Notably, employing boric acid as a crosslinking agent for hydrogels containing heavier PVA molecules led to considerable improvements in mechanical properties and thermal stability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Hydrogels: Design, Properties and Applications)
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14 pages, 5753 KiB  
Article
Fully Physically Crosslinked Conductive Hydrogel with Ultrastretchability, Transparency, and Self-Healing Properties for Strain Sensors
by Feng Ji, Pengbo Shang, Yingkai Lai, Jinmei Wang, Guangcai Zhang, Dengchao Lin, Jing Xu, Daniu Cai and Zhihui Qin
Materials 2023, 16(19), 6491; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16196491 - 29 Sep 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1155
Abstract
Currently, conductive hydrogels have received great attention as flexible strain sensors. However, the preparation of such sensors with integrated stretchability, transparency, and self-healing properties into one gel through a simple method still remains a huge challenge. Here, a fully physically crosslinked double network [...] Read more.
Currently, conductive hydrogels have received great attention as flexible strain sensors. However, the preparation of such sensors with integrated stretchability, transparency, and self-healing properties into one gel through a simple method still remains a huge challenge. Here, a fully physically crosslinked double network hydrogel was developed based on poly(hydroxyethyl acrylamide) (PHEAA) and κ-carrageenan (Car). The driving forces for physical gelation were hydrogen bonds, ion bonding, and electrostatic interactions. The resultant PHEAA-Car hydrogel displayed stretchability (1145%) and optical transparency (92%). Meanwhile, the PHEAA-Car hydrogel exhibited a self-healing property at 25 °C. Additionally, the PHEAA-Car hydrogel-based strain sensor could monitor different joint movements. Based on the above functions, the PHEAA-Car hydrogel can be applied in flexible strain sensors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Hydrogels: Design, Properties and Applications)
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