05/01/2015

GelWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Gel
FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Agel(coinedby19thcenturyScottishchemistThomasGraham,
byclippingfromgelatine[1])isasolid,jellylikematerialthatcan
havepropertiesrangingfromsoftandweaktohardandtough.
Gelsaredefinedasasubstantiallydilutecrosslinkedsystem,
whichexhibitsnoflowwheninthesteadystate.[2]Byweight,
gelsaremostlyliquid,yettheybehavelikesolidsduetoathree
dimensionalcrosslinkednetworkwithintheliquid.Itisthe
crosslinkingwithinthefluidthatgiveagelitsstructure
(hardness)andcontributetotheadhesivestick(tack).[3]Inthis
waygelsareadispersionofmoleculesofaliquidwithinasolid
inwhichthesolidisthecontinuousphaseandtheliquidisthe
discontinuousphase.

Anupturnedvialofhairgel

IUPACdefinition
Gel:Nonfluidcolloidalnetworkorpolymernetworkthatisexpandedthroughoutitswholevolumebyafluid. [4]
Note1:Agelhasafinite,usuallyrathersmall,yieldstress.
Note2:Agelcancontain:
(i)acovalentpolymernetwork,e.g.,anetworkformedbycrosslinkingpolymerchainsorbynonlinear
polymerization
(ii)apolymernetworkformedthroughthephysicalaggregationofpolymerchains,causedbyhydrogen
bonds,crystallization,helixformation,complexation,etc.,thatresultsinregionsoflocalorderactingas
thenetworkjunctionpoints.Theresultingswollennetworkmaybetermedathermoreversiblegelifthe
regionsoflocalorderarethermallyreversible
(iii)apolymernetworkformedthroughglassyjunctionpoints,e.g.,onebasedonblockcopolymers.If
thejunctionpointsarethermallyreversibleglassydomains,theresultingswollennetworkmayalsobe
termedathermoreversiblegel
(iv)lamellarstructuresincludingmesophases{Ref. [5]defineslamellarcrystalandmesophase},e.g.,soap
gels,phospholipids,andclays
(v)particulatedisorderedstructures,e.g.,aflocculentprecipitateusuallyconsistingofparticleswithlarge
geometricalanisotropy,suchasinV2O5gelsandglobularorfibrillarproteingels.
Note3:Correctedfromref., [6]wherethedefinitionisviathepropertyidentifiedinNote1(above)ratherthan
ofthestructuralcharacteristicsthatdescribeagel. [7]
Hydrogel:Gelinwhichtheswellingagentiswater.
Note1:Thenetworkcomponentofahydrogelisusuallyapolymernetwork.
Note2:Ahydrogelinwhichthenetworkcomponentisacolloidalnetworkmaybereferredtoasanaquagel.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gel

1/6

05/01/2015

GelWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Note3:Definitionquotedfromrefs. [7][8][9]

Contents
1Composition
1.1Polyionicpolymers
2Types
2.1Hydrogels
2.2Organogels
2.3Xerogels
3Properties
4Animalproduced
5Applications
6Seealso
7References
8Externallinks

Composition
Gelsconsistofasolidthreedimensionalnetworkthatspansthevolumeofaliquidmediumandensnares
itthroughsurfacetensioneffects.Thisinternalnetworkstructuremayresultfromphysicalbonds
(physicalgels)orchemicalbonds(chemicalgels),aswellascrystallitesorotherjunctionsthatremain
intactwithintheextendingfluid.Virtuallyanyfluidcanbeusedasanextenderincludingwater
(hydrogels),oil,andair(aerogel).Bothbyweightandvolume,gelsaremostlyfluidincompositionand
thusexhibitdensitiessimilartothoseoftheirconstituentliquids.Ediblejellyisacommonexampleofa
hydrogelandhasapproximatelythedensityofwater.

Polyionicpolymers
Polyionicpolymersarepolymerswithanionicfunctionalgroup.Theionicchargespreventthe
formationoftightlycoiledpolymerchains.Thisallowsthemtocontributemoretoviscosityintheir
stretchedstate,becausethestretchedoutpolymertakesupmorespace.SeePolyelectrolyteformore
information.

Types
Hydrogels
Ahydrogelisanetworkofpolymerchainsthatarehydrophilic,sometimesfoundasacolloidalgelin
whichwateristhedispersionmedium.Hydrogelsarehighlyabsorbent(theycancontainover90%
water)naturalorsyntheticpolymericnetworks.Hydrogelsalsopossessadegreeofflexibilityvery
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gel

2/6

05/01/2015

GelWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

similartonaturaltissue,duetotheirsignificantwatercontent.Thefirstappearanceoftheterm'hydrogel'
intheliteraturewasin1894.[10]Commonusesforhydrogelsinclude:
Scaffoldsintissueengineering.Whenusedasscaffolds,hydrogelsmaycontainhumancellsto
repairtissue.
Hydrogelcoatedwellshavebeenusedforcellculture[11]
Environmentallysensitivehydrogels(alsoknownas'SmartGels'or'IntelligentGels').These
hydrogelshavetheabilitytosensechangesofpH,temperature,ortheconcentrationofmetabolite
andreleasetheirloadasresultofsuchachange.
Sustainedreleasedrugdeliverysystems
Providingabsorption,desloughinganddebridingofnecroticandfibrotictissue
Hydrogelsthatareresponsivetospecificmolecules,suchasglucoseorantigens,canbeusedas
biosensors,aswellasinDDS.
Disposablediaperswheretheyabsorburine,orinsanitarynapkins
Contactlenses(siliconehydrogels,polyacrylamides,polymacon)
EEGandECGmedicalelectrodesusinghydrogelscomposedofcrosslinkedpolymers
(polyethyleneoxide,polyAMPSandpolyvinylpyrrolidone)
Watergelexplosives
Rectaldrugdeliveryanddiagnosis
Encapsulationofquantumdots
Other,lesscommonusesinclude
Breastimplants
Glue
Granulesforholdingsoilmoistureinaridareas
Dressingsforhealingofburnorotherhardtohealwounds.Woundgelsareexcellentforhelping
tocreateormaintainamoistenvironment.
Reservoirsintopicaldrugdeliveryparticularlyionicdrugs,deliveredbyiontophoresis(seeion
exchangeresin).
Commoningredientsincludepolyvinylalcohol,sodiumpolyacrylate,acrylatepolymersandcopolymers
withanabundanceofhydrophilicgroups.
Naturalhydrogelmaterialsarebeinginvestigatedfortissueengineeringthesematerialsincludeagarose,
methylcellulose,hyaluronan,andothernaturallyderivedpolymers.

Organogels
Anorganogelisanoncrystalline,nonglassythermoreversible(thermoplastic)solidmaterialcomposed
ofaliquidorganicphaseentrappedinathreedimensionallycrosslinkednetwork.Theliquidcanbe,for
example,anorganicsolvent,mineraloil,orvegetableoil.Thesolubilityandparticledimensionsofthe
structurantareimportantcharacteristicsfortheelasticpropertiesandfirmnessoftheorganogel.Often,
thesesystemsarebasedonselfassemblyofthestructurantmolecules.[12][13]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gel

3/6

05/01/2015

GelWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Organogelshavepotentialforuseinanumberofapplications,suchasinpharmaceuticals,[14]cosmetics,
artconservation,[15]andfood.[16]Anexampleofformationofanundesiredthermoreversiblenetworkis
theoccurrenceofwaxcrystallizationinpetroleum.[17]

Xerogels
Axerogel/zrdl/isasolidformedfromagelbydryingwithunhinderedshrinkage.Xerogels
usuallyretainhighporosity(1550%)andenormoussurfacearea(150900m2/g),alongwithverysmall
poresize(110nm).Whensolventremovaloccursundersupercriticalconditions,thenetworkdoesnot
shrinkandahighlyporous,lowdensitymaterialknownasanaerogelisproduced.Heattreatmentofa
xerogelatelevatedtemperatureproducesviscoussintering(shrinkageofthexerogelduetoasmall
amountofviscousflow)andeffectivelytransformstheporousgelintoadenseglass.

Properties
Manygelsdisplaythixotropytheybecomefluidwhenagitated,butresolidifywhenresting.Ingeneral,
gelsareapparentlysolid,jellylikematerials.Byreplacingtheliquidwithgasitispossibletoprepare
aerogels,materialswithexceptionalpropertiesincludingverylowdensity,highspecificsurfaceareas,
andexcellentthermalinsulationproperties.

Animalproduced
Somespeciessecretegelsthatareeffectiveinparasitecontrol.Forexample,thelongfinnedpilotwhale
secretesanenzymaticgelthatrestsontheoutersurfaceofthisanimalandhelpspreventotherorganisms
fromestablishingcoloniesonthesurfaceofthesewhales'bodies.[18]
Hydrogelsexistingnaturallyinthebodyincludemucus,thevitreoushumoroftheeye,cartilage,tendons
andbloodclots.Theirviscoelasticnatureresultsinthesofttissuecomponentofthebody,disparatefrom
themineralbasedhardtissueoftheskeletalsystem.Researchersareactivelydevelopingsynthetically
derivedtissuereplacementtechnologiesderivedfromhydrogels,forbothtemporaryimplants
(degradable)andpermanentimplants(nondegradable).Areviewarticleonthesubjectdiscussestheuse
ofhydrogelsfornucleuspulposusreplacement,cartilagereplacement,andsynthetictissuemodels.[19]

Applications
Manysubstancescanformgelswhenasuitablethickenerorgellingagentisaddedtotheirformula.This
approachiscommoninmanufactureofwiderangeofproducts,fromfoodstopaintsandadhesives.
Infiberopticscommunications,asoftgelresembling"hairgel"inviscosityisusedtofilltheplastic
tubescontainingthefibers.Themainpurposeofthegelistopreventwaterintrusionifthebuffertubeis
breached,butthegelalsobuffersthefibersagainstmechanicaldamagewhenthetubeisbentaround
cornersduringinstallation,orflexed.Additionally,thegelactsasaprocessingaidwhenthecableis
beingconstructed,keepingthefiberscentralwhilstthetubematerialisextrudedaroundit.

Seealso
2Acrylamido2methylpropanesulfonicacid
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gel

4/6

05/01/2015

GelWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Aerogel
Hydrocolloid
Gelelectrophoresis,Agarosegelelectrophoresis,2Delectrophoresis,SDSPAGE
Gelfiltrationchromatography,Gelpermeationchromatography
Paste(rheology)
Foodrheology
Siliconegel

References
1. ^Harper,Douglas."OnlineEtymologyDictionary:gel"(http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=gel).
OnlineEtymologyDictionary.Retrieved20131209.
2. ^Ferry,JohnD.(1980)ViscoelasticPropertiesofPolymers.NewYork:Wiley,ISBN0471048941.
3. ^"Gel"(https://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Gel.html).Princeton.edu.Retrieved
20120107."Byweight,gelsaremostlyliquid,yettheybehavelikesolidsduetoathreedimensionalcross
linkednetworkwithintheliquid.Itisthecrosslinkswithinthefluidthatgiveagelitsstructure(hardness)and
contributetostickiness(tack)."
4. ^RichardG.Jones,EdwardS.Wilks,W.ValMetanomski,JaroslavKahovec,MichaelHess,RobertStepto,
TatsukiKitayama,ed.(2009).CompendiumofPolymerTerminologyandNomenclature(IUPAC
Recommendations2008)("ThePurpleBook")(2nded.).RSC.p.464.ISBN9780854044917.
5. ^"Reportingphysisorptiondataforgas/solidsystemswithSpecialReferencetotheDeterminationofSurface
AreaandPorosity"(http://jpkc2.wzu.edu.cn/clwlhx/UploadFile/201012/20101221013858456.html).Pureand
AppliedChemistry57(4):603619.1985.doi:10.1351/pac198557040603
(http://dx.doi.org/10.1351%2Fpac198557040603).
6. ^AlanD.MacNaught,AndrewR.Wilkinson,ed.(1997).CompendiumofChemicalTerminology:IUPAC
Recommendations(the"GoldBook")(2ed.).Oxford:BlackwellScience.ISBN0865426848.
7. ^ab"Terminologyofpolymersandpolymerizationprocessesindispersedsystems(IUPAC
Recommendations2011)"(http://pac.iupac.org/publications/pac/pdf/2011/pdf/8312x2229.html).Pureand
AppliedChemistry83(12):22292259.2011.doi:10.1351/PACREC100603
(http://dx.doi.org/10.1351%2FPACREC100603).
8. ^RichardG.Jones,EdwardS.Wilks,W.ValMetanomski,JaroslavKahovec,MichaelHess,RobertStepto,
TatsukiKitayama,ed.(2009).CompendiumofPolymerTerminologyandNomenclature(IUPAC
Recommendations2008)("ThePurpleBook").RSC.ISBN9780854044917.
9. ^AlanD.MacNaught,AndrewR.Wilkinson,ed.(1997).CompendiumofChemicalTerminology:IUPAC
Recommendations(the"GoldBook")(2nded.).BlackwellScience.ISBN0865426848.
10. ^J.M.VanBemmelen,DerHydrogelunddaskristallinischeHydratdesKupferoxydes,Z.Anorg.Chem.5
(1894)S.466.
11. ^Discher,D.E.Janmey,PWang,YL(2005)."TissueCellsFeelandRespondtotheStiffnessofTheir
Substrate".Science310(5751):113943.Bibcode:2005Sci...310.1139D
(http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2005Sci...310.1139D).doi:10.1126/science.1116995
(http://dx.doi.org/10.1126%2Fscience.1116995).PMID16293750
(https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16293750).
12. ^TerechP.(1997)"Lowmolecularweightorganogelators",pp.208268in:RobbI.D.(ed.)Specialist
surfactants.Glasgow:BlackieAcademicandProfessional,ISBN0751403407.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gel

5/6

05/01/2015

GelWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

surfactants.Glasgow:BlackieAcademicandProfessional,ISBN0751403407.

13. ^vanEschJ.,SchoonbeekF.,DeLoosM.,VeenE.M.,KellogR.M.,FeringaB.L.(1999)"Lowmolecular
weightgelatorsfororganicsolvents",pp.233259in:UngaroR.,DalcanaleE.(eds.)Supramolecular
science:whereitisandwhereitisgoing.KluwerAcademicPublishers,ISBN079235656X.
14. ^Kumar,RKatare,OP(2005)."Lecithinorganogelsasapotentialphospholipidstructuredsystemfor
topicaldrugdelivery:Areview"(https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2750543).AAPS
PharmSciTech6(2):E298310.doi:10.1208/pt060240(http://dx.doi.org/10.1208%2Fpt060240).
PMC2750543(https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2750543).PMID16353989
(https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16353989).
15. ^CarrettiE,DeiL,WeissRG(2005)."Softmatterandartconservation.Rheoreversiblegelsandbeyond".
SoftMatter1:17.Bibcode:2005SMat....1...17C(http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2005SMat....1...17C).
doi:10.1039/B501033K(http://dx.doi.org/10.1039%2FB501033K).
16. ^PernettiM,vanMalssenKF,FlterE,BotA(2007)."Structuringofedibleoilsbyalternativesto
crystallinefat".CurrentOpinioninColloid&InterfaceScience12(45):221.
doi:10.1016/j.cocis.2007.07.002(http://dx.doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.cocis.2007.07.002).
17. ^VisintinRFG,LapasinR,VignatiE,D'AntonaP,LockhartTP(2005)."Rheologicalbehaviorandstructural
interpretationofwaxycrudeoilgels".Langmuir21(14):62409.doi:10.1021/la050705k
(http://dx.doi.org/10.1021%2Fla050705k).PMID15982026
(https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15982026).
18. ^Dee,EileenMayMcGinley,MarkandHogan,C.Michael(2010)."Longfinnedpilotwhale"
(http://www.eoearth.org/article/Longfinned_pilot_whale?topic=49540)inSaundry,PeterandCleveland,
Cutler(eds.)EncyclopediaofEarth.NationalCouncilforScienceandtheEnvironment.WashingtonDC.
19. ^"InjectableHydrogelbasedMedicalDevices:"There'salwaysroomforJellO"1"
(https://www.orthoworld.com/site/index.php/publications/view_article/221558).Orthoworld.com.September
15,2010.Retrieved20130519.

Externallinks
Xerogel(definition)
(http://goldbook.iupac.org/X06700.html)
Retrievedfrom"http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?
title=Gel&oldid=637954806"

WikimediaCommonshas
mediarelatedtoGels.
LookupgelinWiktionary,
thefreedictionary.

Categories: Physicalchemistry Gels Drugdeliverydevices Dosageforms Colloids

Thispagewaslastmodifiedon13December2014at21:04.
TextisavailableundertheCreativeCommonsAttributionShareAlikeLicenseadditionalterms
mayapply.Byusingthissite,youagreetotheTermsofUseandPrivacyPolicy.Wikipediaisa
registeredtrademarkoftheWikimediaFoundation,Inc.,anonprofitorganization.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gel

6/6