Dear Colleagues,

The properties of stimuli-responsive hydrogels have attracted the interest of the scientific community, almost becoming a specific field within materials science. They have the ability to change their properties in the face of a stimulus, either to act on a target or to sense a change in the environment. This capability makes them interesting, for basic research as well as for their potential technological applications. The focus of these hydrogels has been mostly on medicine, but their field of application expands day by day.

The aim of this issue is to create a collection of articles based on all the aspects of stimuli-responsive hydrogels. Reports embracing novel synthetic routes, greener precursors, solvents and processes for known methods, e.g., the use of natural polymers, and interesting scalable or innovative strategies (such as 3D printing) for obtaining stimuli-responsive hydrogels are welcome. We are also interested in studies aimed at unraveling mechanisms of responses to stimulus and their characterization, in particular the ones related to (multi)responsiveness and/or nanoparticle-enhanced response. Finally, we encourage reports that deal with feasible technological developments with real applicability and the production of these materials as part of a circular economy.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Guillermo Javier Copello
Dr. María Emilia Villanueva
Guest Editors

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• hydrogels
• stimuli-responsive
• synthetic routes
• material characterization
• technological applicability