New Era Application of Cellulose-Based Gels

Dear Colleagues,

Cellulose which is an ideal raw material for the preparation of hydrogel, is the most abundant natural polymer polysaccharide on earth, associated with green environmental protection, a wide range of sources, and sustainable circulation. Cellulose hydrogels have a huge potential in biomedicine, energy storage, and smart sensing applications due to their excellent mechanical properties and biocompatibility. However, developing functional cellulose hydrogels for broader application scenarios and better application effects is still a huge challenge.

Innovative cellulose hydrogel products have been developed, including adsorption metal ions, solid-state battery electrolytes, flexible sensors, soft contact lenses, lubricating surface coatings, controlled drug release devices, wound healing dressings, cell immobilization islets, three-dimensional cell culture substrates, and bioactive scaffolds for regenerative medicine. Hence, within this topic, we aim to share up-to-date advances in developing cellulose hydrogels with different properties for various applications. When addressing the topic of applying cellulose hydrogels to different fields, we should consider both cellulose hydrogels as a raw material but also modified cellulose or nanocellulose as a matrix or reinforcement.  It is believed that developing cellulose hydrogels with different application will accelerate the development of the basic science of cellulose hydrogels and help in the realization of large-scale applications of cellulose hydrogels.

Dr. Meng Wang
Guest Editor

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• cellulose hydrogel
• energy storage
• flexible sensor
• medicine application