Radiation-Induced Hydrogels and Their Applications

Dear Colleagues, 

Hydrogels are three-dimensional networks of hydrophilic polymers that can absorb and retain large amounts of water. They have many potential applications in various fields, such as drug delivery, metal adsorption, and biomedical engineering, due to their biocompatibility, tunable properties, and responsiveness to external stimuli. However, conventional methods of preparing hydrogels often involve the use of toxic initiators and cross-linking agents, which may compromise the purity and safety of the final products. Therefore, there is a growing interest in developing alternative methods of synthesizing hydrogels without using any chemical additives. One such method is radiation-induced polymerization, which uses different types of electromagnetic radiation, such as gamma rays, microwaves, and UV-visible light, to initiate and cross-link the polymer chains. This method can produce pure hydrogels with high efficiency and controllability. Moreover, by grafting functional monomers onto natural polymers, such as starch, cellulose, pectin, dextrin, chitosan, etc., radiation-induced polymerization can also create stimuli-responsive hydrogels that can change their shape, size, or solubility in response to changes in pH, temperature, light, electric field, etc. These hydrogels can offer new possibilities for designing smart materials and devices for various applications.

This Special Issue “Radiation-Induced Hydrogels and Their Applications” aims to provide a platform for researchers to share their latest findings and insights on the synthesis, characterization, and application of radiation-induced hydrogels. We invite original research articles and review articles that cover topics related to radiation-induced hydrogels, such as:

• The mechanisms and kinetics of radiation-induced polymerization and grafting;
• The effects of radiation parameters (type, dose, dose rate, etc.) on the properties and performance of hydrogels;
• The development and optimization of novel radiation sources and reactors for hydrogel synthesis;
• The fabrication and evaluation of stimuli-responsive hydrogels based on natural polymers;
• The functionalization and modification of hydrogels for specific applications;
• The challenges and opportunities of radiation-induced hydrogels in comparison with other types of hydrogels.

We hope that this Special Issue will stimulate further research and innovation in the field of radiation-induced hydrogels and their applications.

Prof. Dr. Jae-Ho Jeong
Guest Editor

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• radiation
• hydrogels
• natural polymer
• drug delivery
• biomedical applications