Ewelina Baran

1 Introduction Thermoplastic polymers are a class of polymeric materials characterized by reversible thermal transitions: they become moldable or deformable upon heating above their softening or melting temperature and return to a solid state upon cooling. Because of their ability to retain dimensional stability after processing, they are well-suited for precision manufacturing techniques such as micromachining.

Back to Journals » Nanotechnology, Science and Applications » Volume 18 Authors Wyszogrodzka-Gaweł G, Stróżyk M , Skoda M, Osial M, Baran E, Mendyk A Received 9 May 2025 Accepted for publication 7 August 2025 Published 22 September 2025 Volume 2025:18 Pages 405—421 DOI https://doi.org/10.2147/NSA.S539424 Checked for plagiarism Yes Review by Single anonymous peer review Peer reviewer comments 2 Editor who approved publication: Professor Kattesh Katti Gabriela Wyszogrodzka-Gaweł,1 Maciej...

1. Introduction The term cryogel, derived from the Greek κρύος (kryos), meaning cold, refers to a class of hydrogels that are developed under sub-zero temperatures through the repetitive freezing (typically at −20 °C) and thawing (at room temperature) of a solution containing monomeric or polymeric precursors [1,2,3]. The underlying principle of this process is the physical cross-linking of polymer chains, facilitated by the phase transitions of water.