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Applied Sciences
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Hydrogels and Microgels: Fundamentals, Fabrication and Applications
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Hydrogels and Microgels: Fundamentals, Fabrication and Applications

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Chemical and Molecular Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 November 2024 | Viewed by 3750

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Hetao Chu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Electronic Science and Engineering, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, China
Interests: hydrogel actuator; hydrogel sensor; flexible morphing skin; wearable device; flexible electromagnetic device; flexible robot
Prof. Dr. Wei Lu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Ningbo Institute of Industrial Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201, China
Interests: bio-inspired; smart polymeric materials chemistry; polymeric hydrogels; fluorescent materials

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Hydrogels and microgels are some of the most important members of flexible materials. With the continuous innovation of preparation methods and principles, hydrogels and microgels have application prospects in many high-tech fields. This Special Issue focuses on the fundamentals, preparation methods and potential applications of smart hydrogels or smart microgels, including but not limited to hydrogel sensors, flexible electromagnetic devices, hydrogel actuators, flexible structural design, wearable devices, variant structures, flexible morphing skin, etc. This Special Issue has a multidisciplinary feature and focuses on the smart properties of hydrogel materials, including but not limited to the synthesis of smart hydrogels or microgels, 4D printing molding, intelligent devices and structural design. Innovative research in relation to the basic principles and preparation methods is especially welcome.

Dr. Hetao Chu
Prof. Dr. Wei Lu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 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

  • flexible sensor
  • hydrogel actuator
  • flexible morphing skin
  • flexible electromagnetic device
  • flexible structure
  • wearable device
  • flexible robot
  • electronic skin
  • variant structure

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 4854 KiB  
Article
Improvement of Mechanical Properties of 3D Bioprinted Structures through Cellular Overgrowth
by Adrianna Wierzbicka, Mateusz Bartniak, Jacek Grabarczyk, Nikola Biernacka, Mateusz Aftyka, Tomasz Wójcik and Dorota Bociaga
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(19), 8977; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14198977 - 5 Oct 2024
Viewed by 1052
Abstract
The common use of hydrogel materials in 3D bioprinting techniques is dictated by the unique properties of hydrogel bioinks, among which some of the most important in terms of sustaining vital cell functions in vitro in 3D cultures are the ability to retain [...] Read more.
The common use of hydrogel materials in 3D bioprinting techniques is dictated by the unique properties of hydrogel bioinks, among which some of the most important in terms of sustaining vital cell functions in vitro in 3D cultures are the ability to retain large amounts of liquid and the ability to modify rigidity and mechanical properties to reproduce the structure of the natural extracellular matrix. Due to their high biocompatibility, non-immunogenicity, and the possibility of optimizing rheological properties and bioactivity at the same time, one of the most commonly used hydrogel bioink compositions are polymer solutions based on sodium alginate and gelatin. In 3D bioprinting techniques, it is necessary for hydrogel printouts to feature an appropriate geometry to ensure proper metabolic activity of the cells contained inside the printouts. The desired solution is to obtain a thin-walled printout geometry, ensuring uniform nutrient availability and gas exchange during cultivation. Within this study’s framework, tubular bioprinted structures were developed based on sodium alginate and gelatin, containing cells of the immortalized fibroblast line NIH/3T3 in their structure. Directly after the 3D printing process, such structures are characterized by extremely low mechanical strength. The purpose of this study was to perform a comparative analysis of the viability and spreading ability of the biological material contained in the printouts during their incubation for a period of 8 weeks while monitoring the effect of cellular growth on changes in the mechanical properties of the tubular structures. The observations demonstrated that the cells contained in the 3D printouts reach the ability to grow and spread in the polymer matrix after 4 weeks of cultivation, leading to obtaining a homogeneous, interconnected cell network inside the hydrogel after 6 weeks of incubation. Analysis of the mechanical properties of the printouts indicates that with the increasing time of cultivation of the structures, the degree of their overgrowth by the biological material contained inside, and the progressive degradation of the polymer matrix process, the tensile strength of tubular 3D printouts varies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydrogels and Microgels: Fundamentals, Fabrication and Applications)
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16 pages, 5299 KiB  
Article
Fluorescent Composite Cotton Fabric Modified with Crosslinked Chitosan for Theranostic Applications
by Desislava Staneva, Daniela Atanasova and Ivo Grabchev
Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(23), 12660; https://doi.org/10.3390/app132312660 - 25 Nov 2023
Viewed by 965
Abstract
Developing multifunctional textile material for wound dressing is challenging due to the variety of wounds and their differing healing stages. Therefore, theranostics replaces the traditional approach to provide patient comfort and accelerated healing. In this study, we developed and compared three different materials. [...] Read more.
Developing multifunctional textile material for wound dressing is challenging due to the variety of wounds and their differing healing stages. Therefore, theranostics replaces the traditional approach to provide patient comfort and accelerated healing. In this study, we developed and compared three different materials. For this purpose, for the first time, chitosan was modified with 4-nitro-1,8-naphthalic anhydride in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) suspension, and subsequent nucleophilic substitution of the nitro group with N,N-dimethylamino group, whereby chitosan with a yellow color and fluorescence was obtained. Cotton fabric was impregnated successively with a citric acid solution and solution from chitosan and chitosan modified with 1,8-naphthalimide fluorophore (CN material). The same experimental protocol was applied for the second material, but indomethacin was added to the chitosan solution (CNI material). The third material was prepared similarly to the second but was immersed in an alginate solution as a last step (CNIA material). The obtained materials have been characterized by optical and scanning electron microscopy and thermal analysis (TG-DTA-DTG). Indomethacin release from composite materials and hydrogel swelling and erosion in phosphate buffer pH 7.4 at 37 °C was examined using gravimetric analysis, UV-vis absorption, and fluorescence spectroscopy. The antimicrobial activity of the cotton samples has been evaluated against B. cereus and P. aeruginosa as model bacterial strains. The analysis showed that CN material inhibited about 98.8% of the growth of P. aeruginosa and about 95.5% of the growth of B. cereus. Other composite materials combine antimicrobial properties with a sustained release of biologically active substances that can observed visually. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydrogels and Microgels: Fundamentals, Fabrication and Applications)
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13 pages, 5452 KiB  
Article
A Study on the Stoichiometry of Casein/Chitosan Gel Complexes as a Delivery System for Quercetin
by Sofia Milenkova, Nikolay Zahariev, Rita Ambrus, Bissera Pilicheva and Maria Marudova
Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(19), 10868; https://doi.org/10.3390/app131910868 - 30 Sep 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1340
Abstract
As a well-known plant flavanol, quercetin possesses a diverse range of biological properties. These include its ability to act as an antioxidant, reduce inflammation, and exhibit anticancer effects. Consequently, it finds extensive application in numerous models related to wound healing. However, the poor [...] Read more.
As a well-known plant flavanol, quercetin possesses a diverse range of biological properties. These include its ability to act as an antioxidant, reduce inflammation, and exhibit anticancer effects. Consequently, it finds extensive application in numerous models related to wound healing. However, the poor physicochemical characteristics of the molecule (which include low solubility, stability, and permeability) eventually reduce its bioavailability at the targeted sites. A variety of nano formulations with great therapeutic potential have been created in order to get around these obstacles on the way to successful therapy. The current investigation aims to examine the properties of nano- and micro-sized casein/chitosan gel polyelectrolyte complexes (PECs) with respect to their potential for quercetin loading and release. Four different types of hydrogel particles at pH 6 and different casein/chitosan charge ratios were synthesized; namely, 1:1, 2:1, 4:1, and 6:1 in excesses of casein. The attractive electrostatic interactions between the oppositely charged polyelectrolytes were proved by FT-IR spectroscopy. The process yield increased from 37.5% to 72.5% in excesses of casein. The gel particle’s size varied between 377 nm and 5.72 µm depending on the casein/chitosan stoichiometry. The morphology of the obtained gel polyelectrolyte complexes was found to be spherical, based on scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy analysis. The quercetin loading efficiency was above 95% for all investigated hydrogel complexes. Investigation of the physical state of the loaded polyphenol by the differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray powdered diffraction technique suggested the occurrence of partial recrystallization phenomena. The quercetin release test was performed in phosphate buffer (pH 5.5) at 32 °C and permanent stirring at 50 rpm. A zero-order model was used to describe in the best way the release kinetics. The reported casein/chitosan complexes loaded with quercetin may find application in wound healing as a concomitant treatment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydrogels and Microgels: Fundamentals, Fabrication and Applications)
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