Gels | Special Issue : Flocculation and Electrokinetics in Bioresources and Environment: Related to Gels

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Kazuyoshi Ogawa

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Guest Editor

Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan
Interests: polymer chemistry; polyelectrolyte; microgel; polymer complex; stimuli-responsive gel or polymer

Prof. Dr. Yasuhisa Adachi

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Guest Editor

Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan
Interests: flocculation and coagulation of colloidal suspensions; particle gel

Prof. Dr. Hiroyuki Ohshima

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Guest Editor

Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, Yamazaki, Noda 278-8510, Japan
Interests: electrophoresis; electrokinetics; electrokinetic phenomena; electrostatic interaction of colloidal particles; gel electrophoresis; electrokinetics of gel-like particles

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Interfacial electrokinetic phenomena and flocculation in biological resources and the environment have been central issues in the activities of the Electrokinetic Society of Japan (ELKINJP) and the Research Unit for Colloidal Engineering in Bio-resources (at University of Tsukuba) (RUCEB) since their establishment in 2011. The focus on flocculation has led to an understanding of the kinetics of colloidal interfaces and their relationship with a wide range of biological resources and environmental applications. The interfacial electrokinetic phenomena, especially zeta potential, can be sensitively understood and controlled. The colloids targeted here are complex gels of clay, organic particles, polymers, surfactants, and other materials. One example can be found in soil and water treatment sludge. On the basis of this background, we decided to collaborate with the session “Bio-flocculation and Smart Sludge for Soil Improvement (BSSI)” at TGSW2022 held by the University of Tsukuba and to publish a Special Issue of Gels (an open access journal from MDPI). BSSI is an important issue in agriculture and water treatment, but this Special Issue is open to manuscripts on topics ranging from basic to applied flocculation and electrokinetics in bioresources and the environment. We welcome submissions from authors who did present at the TGSW2022 session, as long as they agree with the objectives of the activities of the ELKINJP and RUCEB. The deadline for submission of manuscripts is 30 June 2024. Ten papers will be selected from the submissions as invited papers, and the Article Processing Charges for these submissions will be waived. Other papers will be treated as general papers in accordance with MDPI rules. For the latter, Article Processing Charges (2600 CHF, https://0-www-mdpi-com.brum.beds.ac.uk/journal/gels/apc) will be required. Invited papers will be selected by the Editorial Board at the end of June 2024.

Dr. Kazuyoshi Ogawa
Prof. Dr. Yasuhisa Adachi
Prof. Dr. Hiroyuki Ohshima
Guest Editors

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

flocculation
aggregation
colloids
gels
sludge
granules
electrokinetics
bioresources
soil improvement
water treatment

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

23 pages, 2359 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Polymer Gel Substrate: Synthesis and Application in the Intensive Light Artificial Culture of Agricultural Plants

by Gayane G. Panova, Elena L. Krasnopeeva, Svetlana G. Laishevkina, Tatiana E. Kuleshova, Olga R. Udalova, Yuriy V. Khomyakov, Galina V. Mirskaya, Vitaly E. Vertebny, Anna S. Zhuravleva, Natalia N. Shevchenko and Alexander V. Yakimansky

Gels 2023, 9(12), 937; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/gels9120937 - 29 Nov 2023

Viewed by 1012

Abstract

This work is devoted to the description of the synthesis of hydrogels in the process of cryotropic gel formation based on copolymerization of synthesized potassium 3-sulfopropyl methacrylate and 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (SPMA-co-HEMA) and assessing the potential possibility of their use as substrates for growing plants in intensive light culture in a greenhouse. Gel substrates based on the SPMA-co-HEMA were created in two compositions, differing from each other in the presence of macro- and microelements, and their effects were studied on the plants’ physiological state (content of chlorophylls a and b, activity of catalase and peroxidase enzymes, intensity of lipid peroxidation, elemental compositions) at the vegetative period of their development and on the plants’ growth, productivity and quality of plant production at the final stages of development. Experiments were carried out under controlled microclimate conditions. Modern and standard generally accepted methods of gels were employed (ATR-FTIR and ¹³C NMR spectral studies, scanning electron microscopy, measurement of specific surface area and pore volume), as well as the methods of the physiological and chemical analysis of plants. The study demonstrated the swelling ability of the created gel substrates. Hydrogels’ structure, their specific surface area, porosity, and pore volume were investigated. Using the example of representatives of leaf, fruit and root vegetable crops, the high biological activity of gel substrates was revealed throughout the vegetation period. Species specificity in the reaction of plants to the presence of gel substrates in the root-inhabited environment was revealed. Lettuce, tomato and cucumber plants were more responsive to the effect of the gel substrate, and radish plants were less responsive. At the same time, more pronounced positive changes in plant growth, quality and productivity were observed in cucumber and lettuce in the variant of gel substrates with macro- and microelements and in tomato plants in both variants of gel substrates. Further research into the mechanisms of the influence of gel substrates on plants, as well as the synthesis of new gel substrates with more pronounced properties to sorb and retain moisture is promising. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Flocculation and Electrokinetics in Bioresources and Environment: Related to Gels)

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Graphical abstract

12 pages, 1107 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Transient Gel Electrophoresis of a Spherical Colloidal Particle

by Hiroyuki Ohshima

Gels 2023, 9(5), 356; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/gels9050356 - 23 Apr 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1483

Abstract

The general theory is developed for the time-dependent transient electrophoresis of a weakly charged spherical colloidal particle with an electrical double layer of arbitrary thickness in an uncharged or charged polymer gel medium. The Laplace transform of the transient electrophoretic mobility of the particle with respect to time is derived by considering the long-range hydrodynamic interaction between the particle and the polymer gel medium on the basis of the Brinkman–Debye–Bueche model. According to the obtained Laplace transform of the particle’s transient electrophoretic mobility, the transient gel electrophoretic mobility approaches the steady gel electrophoretic mobility as time approaches infinity. The present theory of the transient gel electrophoresis also covers the transient free-solution electrophoresis as its limiting case. It is shown that the relaxation time for the transient gel electrophoretic mobility to reach its steady value is shorter than that of the transient free-solution electrophoretic mobility and becomes shorter as the Brinkman screening length decreases. Some limiting or approximate expressions are derived for the Laplace transform of the transient gel electrophoretic mobility. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Flocculation and Electrokinetics in Bioresources and Environment: Related to Gels)

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