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Gels
Special Issues
Current and Future Trends in Supramolecular Gels
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Current and Future Trends in Supramolecular Gels

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2023) | Viewed by 5459

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Parthasarathi Dastidar

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Indian Association for The Cultivation of Science, Kolkata, India
Interests: supramolecular gels; coordination polymers; crystal engineering; self-drug delivery

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Supramolecular gels are fascinating soft materials that display viscoelastic properties. Although the first reported example of supramolecular gel appeared nearly two centuries ago, serious and deliberate efforts to synthesize such soft materials started in the late 1980s. Since then, an upsurge in research activities toward discovering new supramolecular gelators has occurred, not only because the fundamental issues pertaining to gelation mechanism remain mostly unanswered but also because of the various potential applications—e.g., sensing, catalysis, self-healing, proton conduction, tissue engineering, 3D cell culture, self-drug-delivery, biomineralization—that they offer.

This Special Issue aims to highlight the current status of the field with an intention to focus on its future. We welcome contributions that cover advanced research on any aspects of supramolecular gels, including coordination-compound-based metallogels. Additionally, contributions toward new insights into the gelation mechanism, both experimental and theoretical, are also welcome.

Prof. Dr. Parthasarathi Dastidar
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. 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 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

  • supramolecular gel
  • metallogels
  • structure–property correlation in supramolecular gels
  • gel-based materials
  • self-drug delivery
  • antibiotic gel
  • topical gel

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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21 pages, 3950 KiB  
Article
Molecular and Aggregate Structural, Thermal, Mechanical and Photophysical Properties of Long-Chain Amide Gelators Containing an α-Diketo Group in the Presence or Absence of a Tertiary Amine Group
by Girishma Grover, Andrea Blake Brothers and Richard G. Weiss
Gels 2023, 9(1), 36; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels9010036 - 31 Dec 2022
Viewed by 1397
Abstract
Three structurally related gelators, each containing octadecyl chains, an α-diketo group at the 9,10 positions, and each with a different N-amide group—isobutyl (DIBA), isopentyl (DIPA) or N-(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl) (DMEA)—have been synthesized. Their neat structures as well as the thermal mechanical, and photophysical properties in [...] Read more.
Three structurally related gelators, each containing octadecyl chains, an α-diketo group at the 9,10 positions, and each with a different N-amide group—isobutyl (DIBA), isopentyl (DIPA) or N-(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl) (DMEA)—have been synthesized. Their neat structures as well as the thermal mechanical, and photophysical properties in their gel states with various liquids have been investigated. The gelator networks of DIBA and DIPA in octane, hexylbenzene and silicone oil consist of bundles of fibers. These gels are partially thixotropic and mechanically, thermally (to above their melting or silicone oil gelation temperatures), and photophysically stable. They are mechanically and thermally stronger than the gels formed with DMEA, the gelator with a tertiary amine group. The lone pair of electrons of the tertiary amine group leads to an intra-molecular or inter-molecular charge-transfer interaction, depending on whether the sample is a solution, sol, or gel. Neat, solid DMEA does not undergo the charge-transfer process because its amino and diketo groups are separated spatially by a large distance in the crystalline state and cannot diffuse into proximity. However, the solution of DIPA upon the addition of triethylamine becomes unstable over time at room temperature in the dark or (more rapidly) when irradiated, which initiates the aforementioned charge-transfer processes. The eventual reaction of the gelators in the presence of a tertiary amine group is ascribed to electron transfer from the lone-pair on nitrogen to an α-diketo group, followed by proton transfer to an oxygen atom on the anion radical of the α-diketo group from a methyl or methylene group attached to the nitrogen atom of the cation radical. Finally, the formation of an α-diketyl radical leads to irreversible electronic and structural changes that are observed over time. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current and Future Trends in Supramolecular Gels)
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Review

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21 pages, 2879 KiB  
Review
Coinage Metals Doped ZnO Obtained by Sol-Gel Method—A Brief Review
by Cristina Maria Vlăduț, Oana-Cătălina Mocioiu and Elena Mirabela Soare
Gels 2023, 9(5), 424; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels9050424 - 18 May 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1431
Abstract
ZnO is one of the most studied oxides due to its nontoxic nature and remarkable properties. It has antibacterial and UV-protection properties, high thermal conductivity, and high refractive index. Various ways have been used to synthesize and fabricate coinage metals doped ZnO, but [...] Read more.
ZnO is one of the most studied oxides due to its nontoxic nature and remarkable properties. It has antibacterial and UV-protection properties, high thermal conductivity, and high refractive index. Various ways have been used to synthesize and fabricate coinage metals doped ZnO, but the sol-gel technique has received a lot of interest because of its safety, low cost, and facile deposition equipment. Coinage metals are represented by the three nonradioactive elements of group 11 of the periodic table: gold, silver, and copper. This paper, which was motivated by the lack of reviews on the topic, provides a summary of the synthesis of Cu, Ag, and Au-doped ZnO nanostructures with an emphasis on the sol-gel process and identifies the numerous factors that affect the morphological, structural, optical, electrical, and magnetic properties of the produced materials. This is accomplished by tabulating and discussing a summary of a number of parameters and applications that were published in the existing literature over the previous five years (2017–2022). The main applications being pursued involve biomaterials, photocatalysts, energy storage materials, and microelectronics. This review ought to serve as a helpful reference point for researchers looking into the many physicochemical characteristics of coinage metals doped ZnO, as well as how these characteristics vary according to the conditions under which experiments are conducted. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current and Future Trends in Supramolecular Gels)
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17 pages, 1707 KiB  
Review
Cellulose-Based Metallogels—Part 1: Raw Materials and Preparation
by Aleksandra Mikhailidi, Irina Volf, Dan Belosinschi, Bogdan-Marian Tofanica and Elena Ungureanu
Gels 2023, 9(5), 390; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels9050390 - 08 May 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1757
Abstract
Metallogels are a class of materials produced by the complexation of polymer gels with metal ions that can form coordination bonds with the functional groups of the gel. Hydrogels with metal phases attract special attention due to the numerous possibilities for functionalization. Cellulose [...] Read more.
Metallogels are a class of materials produced by the complexation of polymer gels with metal ions that can form coordination bonds with the functional groups of the gel. Hydrogels with metal phases attract special attention due to the numerous possibilities for functionalization. Cellulose is preferable for the production of hydrogels from economic, ecological, physical, chemical, and biological points of view since it is inexpensive, renewable, versatile, non-toxic, reveals high mechanical and thermal stability, has a porous structure, an imposing number of reactive OH groups, and good biocompatibility. Due to the poor solubility of natural cellulose, the hydrogels are commonly produced from cellulose derivatives that require multiple chemical manipulations. However, there is a number of techniques of hydrogel preparation via dissolution and regeneration of non-derivatized cellulose of various origins. Thus, hydrogels can be produced from plant-derived cellulose, lignocellulose and cellulose wastes, including agricultural, food and paper wastes. The advantages and limitations of using solvents are discussed in this review with regard to the possibility of industrial scaling up. Metallogels are often formed on the basis of ready-made hydrogels, which is why the choice of an adequate solvent is important for obtaining desirable results. The methods of the preparation of cellulose metallogels with d-transition metals in the present state of the art are reviewed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current and Future Trends in Supramolecular Gels)
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