Gel Process Research Articles

DESIGN AND OPTIMIZATION OF NANO ENCAPSULATED BERBERIS ASIATICA BIO COMPOUNDS

Objective: The current study goal is to develop and optimize nanoencapsulated biocompounds of Berberis asiatica (BCBA) utilizing the ionic gelation process to target the kidney for antiurolithiatic activity. Methods: Nanoencapsulated BCBA was prepared employing the ionic gelation method. Box Behnken Design (BBD) 3-factor, 3-level is used to examine the effects of formulation parameters and to enhance the desired responses. Characterization studies include Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), particle size, zeta potential, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) performed to study the quality of optimized nanoparticles. Results: Mathematical equations and response surface plots were used to relate the dependent and independent variables. Diagnostic charts were used to show the varied factor level permutations. The percentages of entrapment efficiency (% EE) and drug release (% DR) used in evaluation studies of optimized biocompounds of Berberis asiatica nanoparticles (OBCBANPs) were determined to be 83.7% and 78.33%, respectively. The Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) results showed that chitosan, sodium tripolyphosphate (NaTPP), and BACB were compatible. Due to chitosan and NaTPP gelation in the case of OBCBANPs, X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses have acknowledged the crystalinity. The particle size and zeta potential of the optimized formulation, found to be 95.4 nm and 31 mV, respectively, indicate the nanoparticles are in the nano range and possess extreme stability by preventing particle convergence. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) studies reveal that the optimized formulation nanoparticles are spherical in shape, homogeneous, and have little aggregation. The accelerated stability studies showed that the optimized formulation was stable at different temperatures and relative humidity. Conclusion: The stable optimized formulation was prepared, evaluated, and characterized. BBD is employed to optimize the formulation by minimizing the number of experimental runs and enhancing the desired responses. The optimized formulation further needs to investigate the invivo studies for antiurolithiatic activity by targeting the kidney.

Phase behavior of the gelation process of myofibrillar protein-curdlan blended system: Discussion based on rheology and gel properties

The phase behavior in protein-polysaccharide blended systems is the main factor affecting the physical properties of composite gels; however, the phase behavior at room temperature and during heated gelation is lacking discussion. In this research, extracted grouper myofibrillar protein (MP) and curdlan (CUR) were used as models for the MP-CUR blended system. The phase behavior of the MP-CUR blended system was analyzed using rheology and microstructure analysis, and the accuracy of the phase behavior analysis was verified by measuring the physical indices such as gel properties of the MP-CUR composite gels. At room temperature, MP and CUR showed good co-solubility, so the blended system with 0.8% CUR content obtained the best apparent viscosity, structural recoverability, and other rheological properties. After heating gelation, MP and CUR had strong thermodynamic unaffinity leading to phase separation, and the best storage modulus was obtained for the MP-CUR blended system with 0.6% CUR content. Therefore, it is concluded that 0.6% CUR content is the critical concentration for the MP-CUR blended system. The results were also confirmed by the best gel properties of 0.6% CUR composite gel when the physical properties of the composite gel were determined. The phase behavior evaluation was used to determine the appropriate polysaccharide concentrations as a means to improve the physicochemical properties of the composite gels and to exploit the value of polysaccharides in protein-based food applications.

Fabrication of all-starch-based hydrogels as eco-friendly water-absorbent resin: Structure and swelling behaviors

Water-absorbent resin has gained wide applications due to the capability in absorbing and retaining substantial amounts of water, while it's a challenge to fabricate a full biobased water-absorbent resin with excellent biodegradability and eco-friendliness. In this study, starch was sulfonated (SS) and crosslinked with epichlorohydrin to fabricate all-starch-based hydrogels (SSH) as water-absorbent resin with advantages of intrinsic biodegradability and low cost. The results confirmed that the hydrogen atoms of -OH groups in starch chains were partially replaced by -SO3− and the substitution degree (DS) of SS reached 0.008–0.344. By controlling DS and gelation process of SS, the swelling ratio (Qe) of SSH was improved in distilled water, reaching 244.47 g/g for samples prepared using SS with medium DS (SSMDSH). SSMDSH showed relatively loose network structure with low cross-linking density and large pore size. Meanwhile, -SO3− groups on SSMDSH chains facilitated strong ion-dipole interactions with water molecules, resulting in an increase in content of non-freezing bound water within hydrogels and thus improvement in water absorption capacity. Besides, SSH showed desired fertilizer absorption performance and complete biodegradability in α-amylase solution, which made it to be a promising candidate in agricultural fields as eco-friendly water-absorbent resin.

Metal Ion-Induced Formation of Metallogels by Visible-Light-Responsive Phenylalanine-Functionalized Arylazopyrazole Ligands

A visible-light-responsive arylazopyrazole-functionalized phenylalanine (4-MeS-AAP-NF) derived ligand was designed and synthesized, and it was found to form metallogels with reversible photo-responsive properties in mixed methanol/water (MeOH/H2O) solvents. The gelation behavior of the 4-MeS-AAP-NF ligand in the presence of different divalent metal ions in mixed methanol/water (MeOH/H2O) solvents at pH~11.60 was studied. It was found that the 4-MeS-AAP-NF ligand alone could not self-assemble to form any gels. However, in the presence of divalent metal ions, it readily formed the assembled metallogels in an alkaline aqueous/methanol solution with various morphologies. The results suggest that the gelation process was triggered by divalent metal ions. The presence of the AAP moiety in the gel matrix rendered the metallogel assemblies photo-responsive, and the reversible gel-to-sol phase transition was studied by UV-vis spectroscopy. The gels showed a slow, reversible visible-light-induced gel-to-sol phase transition under blue (λ = 405 nm) and then sol-to-gel transition by green light (λ = 530 nm) irradiation, resulting in the re-formation of the original gel state. The morphology and viscoelastic properties of the yellow–orange opaque metallogels were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and rheological measurement, respectively.

Injectable Antiswelling and High-Strength Bioactive Hydrogels with a Wet Adhesion and Rapid Gelling Process to Promote Sutureless Wound Closure and Scar-free Repair of Infectious Wounds.

Developing injectable antiswelling and high-strength bioactive hydrogels with wet tissue adhesiveness and a rapid gelling process to meet the requirements for rapid hemostasis, sutureless wound closure, and scar-free repair of infected skin wounds continues to have ongoing challenges. Herein, injectable, antibacterial, and antioxidant hydrogel adhesives based on poly(citric acid-co-polyethylene glycol)-g-dopamine and amino-terminated Pluronic F127 (APF) micelles loaded with astragaloside IV (AS) are prepared. The H2O2/horseradish peroxidase (HRP) system is used to cause cross-linking of the hydrogel network through oxidative coupling between catechol groups and chemical cross-linking between the catechol group and the amino group. The hydrogels exhibit a rapid gelling process, high mechanical strength, an antiswelling effect, good antioxidant property, H2O2 release behavior, and degradability. In addition, the hydrogels present good wet tissue adhesiveness, high bursting pressure, excellent antibacterial activity, long-term sustained release of AS, and good biocompatibility. The hydrogels perform good hemostasis on mouse liver, rat liver, and rabbit femoral vein bleeding models and achieve much better closure and healing of skin incisions than biomedical glue and surgical sutures. Furthermore, the hydrogel dressing significantly improved the scar-free repair of MRSA-infected full thickness skin defect wounds by modulating inflammation, regulating the ratio of collagen I/III, and improving the vascularization and granulation tissue formation. Thus, AS-loaded hydrogels show huge potential as multifunctional dressings for in vivo hemostasis, sutureless wound closure, and scar-free repair of infected skin wounds.

Tannic Acid-Induced Gelation of Aqueous Suspensions of Cellulose Nanocrystals.

Nanocellulose hydrogels are a crucial category of soft biomaterials with versatile applications in tissue engineering, artificial extracellular matrices, and drug-delivery systems. In the present work, a simple and novel method, involving the self-assembly of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) induced by tannic acid (TA), was developed to construct a stable hydrogel (SH-CNC/TA) with oriented porous network structures. The gelation process is driven by the H-bonding interaction between the hydroxyl groups of CNCs and the catechol groups of TA, as substantiated by the atoms in molecules topology analysis and FTIR spectra. Interestingly, the assembled hydrogels exhibited a tunable hierarchical porous structure and mechanical moduli by varying the mass ratio of CNCs to TA. Furthermore, these hydrogels also demonstrate rapid self-healing ability due to the dynamic nature of the H-bond. Additionally, the structural stability of the SH-CNC/TA hydrogel could be further enhanced and adjusted by introducing coordination bonding between metal cations and TA. This H-bonding driven self-assembly method may promote the development of smart cellulose hydrogels with unique microstructures and properties for biomedical and other applications.

Analysis of mass transfer in the evaporation-gelation process of polystyrene-benzene solution inside a Stefan tube

The hollow polymer spheres preparation technique of micro-encapsulation requires quantative and precise understandings of the complex evaporation, gelation and solidification processes of the polymer solution. This study focused on the mass transfer during the evaporation-gelation process of a PS-benzene solution inside a Stefan tube. Liquid level reductions of polymer solutions were accurately measured using an image-recognition method with 50μm accuracy. An evaporation model was developed to successfully predict the variation of liquid level, concentration and mass transfer flux, considering solution activity and density as lumped parameters that depend on concentration. This carefully validated evaporation model is expected to be invaluable for the analysis and design of polymer solution evaporation, accommodating various geometries and boundary conditions. Despite the observation of complex processes such as precipitation of polymer molecules and solution-gel phase separation, we characterized and explained them using the effective concentration-density relation. The study showed that reaching a mass fraction of benzene of 0.6 is a significant event in the evaporation process, indicating the end of gelation and the beginning of solidification.

Preparation and properties evaluation of novel silica gel-based fracturing fluid with temperature tolerance and salt resistance for geoenergy development

Various polymers are the most widely used product to provide rheology for water-based fracturing fluid, however, they have weaknesses in terms of temperature resistance and salt resistance. The change from organic-based to inorganic thickeners may be a meaningful attempt. Inorganic silica gel is a potentially alternative viscosifier with high temperature resistance, excellent proppant carrying capacity, and can even be used to prepare fracturing fluids with high salinity of produced water. In this paper, the silica gel viscosifier was firstly prepared using sol–gel method. Then, the gelation time under different influencing factors and rheological properties of the silica gel viscosifier were studied in detail. Subsequently, the silica gel-based fracturing fluid was prepared by adding the desired amount of drag reducer to the silica sol solution, and the properties of novel fracturing fluid were systematically evaluated with regard to the temperature and shearing resistance, drag reduction, and static proppant suspension. The potential mechanism of gelation process by syneresis of silica gel was revealed at last. Results showed that the microstructure of silica gel is synthetic, amorphous and consists of a three-dimensional network of SiO2 particles. The effect of SiO2 concentration on the gelation time is more pronounced than other factors such as temperature and pH level. In addition, the silica gel viscosifier exhibits strong salt resistance, whether monovalent ions (Na+, K+) or divalent ions (Ca2+, Mg2+), and the gelation time decreased significantly with the increase of salt concentration. The shear viscosity of the silica gel viscosifier increased with an increase of SiO2 concentration, showing shear thinning behavior as well. Meanwhile, the silica gel-based fracturing fluid prepared by adding drag reducer into silica sol solution also presented excellent thermal stability and shear resistance, drag reduction and proppant suspension performances. The retained viscosity can be maintained above 50 mPa·s after shearing at 180 °C for 60 mins; the drag reduction rate shows a declining trend at high displacement due to the gelation process; the settling rate of 40/70 mesh sand proppant with 35 % sand ratio is less than 30 % after standing at 90 °C for 4 h. In addition, the gelation process is essentially the formation of Si-O-Si linkage by dehydration between SiO2 particles, which is gradually extended at both ends and sides of the chain, and eventually forms a rigid, highly porous, entangled network. Findings found in this study provide a research basis for the popularization and application of silica gel-based fracturing fluid.

Universal pathway towards metal sulfides decorated 3D porous Ti3C2Tx MXene aerogel for vapor-phase mercury removal

Utilization of monolithic mineral sulfide-based sorbent for the fix-bed elemental mercury (Hg0) removal is regarded as a predominant predicament in the field of Hg0 abatement. In this work, a general and facile route was exploited to establish CuS particles decorated 3D porous Ti3C2Tx MXene aerogel via divalent Cu2+ cations induced assembly combined with subsequent high-temperature sulfurization treatment, during which, uniform CuS particles were homogeneously anchored throughout the Ti3C2Tx substrate. The obtained 3D CuS/Ti3C2Tx MXene aerogel exhibited satisfactory textural property, hierarchical pore structure and strong interaction between Ti3C2Tx MXene and CuS. Meanwhile, the inherent restacking of Ti3C2Tx MXene nanosheet and serious agglomeration of CuS can also be effectively avoided in the formation of aerogel. Those structural advantages originating from this novel gelation process favorably contributes to satisfactory Hg0 mass transfer and sufficient utilization of CuS active ligands, which largely strengthens Hg0 removal performance and broadens the fix-bed application of mineral sulfides. Consequently, the Hg0 capture capacity and adsorption rate of CuS/Ti3C2Tx MXene aerogel reached 90596.4 g m−3 and 120.64 g m−3 min−1, respectively, far outbalancing those of the reported in-situ selenized copper foam with excellent Hg0 removal activity. The impressive Hg0 sequestration performance is attributed to its relatively large specific surface area, layered pore channel, and highly dispersed CuS particles, largely boosting Hg0 mass transfer and following sequestration. Moreover, other mineral sulfides/Ti3C2Tx MXene aerogels can also be constructed by just replacing divalent metal cations, which makes the initial effort towards the fix-bed utilization of mineral sulfides-based aerogel for vapor-phase Hg0 immobilization.

Dual regulations on texture and water mobility of shrimp surimi gel with sustained-release epigallocatechin-3-gallate in γ-cyclodextrin metal organic frameworks: Insights into functionality and mechanisms

Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) could demonstrate crosslinking effects on myofibrillar proteins, yet its proneness to self-aggregation could bring excessive crosslinking and water loss within gels, hindering its application as an additive during thermal gelation process. Here, encapsulation with the γ-cyclodextrin metal organic framework (γ-CD-MOF) before the use of EGCG was found to play a dual role: alleviating over-crosslinking of proteins and elevating water retention within gels. Results showed that EGCG got a sustainable release throughout the thermal process due to the gradual fracture of O-K coordinate bounds and structural collapse of γ-CD-MOF. Mechanism insights revealed that the use of EGCG loaded γ-CD-MOF (EGCG@γ-CD-MOF) could regulate formation efficiency on disulfide bounds and promote protonation transition of the amino groups in proteins. Moreover, EGCG@γ-CD-MOF brought a higher retention of phenols within gels through preventing oxidative transformation of phenols towards quinones, which were verified to display a higher affinity towards myosin via molecular calculations.

The Potential of a Sumbawa Herbal Oil-Based Oleogel as Burn Wound Dressing

This study aimed to innovate the current Sumbawa oil preparation which is still in the form of liquid into an oleogel so that it is easier to apply and more practical for distribution and storage. Phytochemical analysis of Sumbawa oil showed the contents of phenols, flavonoids, and alkaloids. By adding hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) as a gelling agent and glycerin as a humectant, Sumbawa oil can be served in the form of an oleogel. The pH measurement of the Sumbawa oil oleogel at levels of 90%, 95%, and 100% ranged from 7.0–7.3 which is the ideal acidity level for the wound healing process. In the antimicrobial activity test with S. aureus and E. coli, the zone of inhibition ranged from 12.1–14.7 mm which is considered strong. Meanwhile, in in vitro testing of the anti-inflammatory activity using the human red blood cell membrane stabilization method, the stability level of each was obtained to be 78% for 100% Sumbawa oil, 74% for oleogel with 95% Sumbawa oil, and 73% for oleogel with 90% Sumbawa oil. The oleogel morphology observation using a scanning electron microscope showed a good gelation process at 5% and 10% HEC levels.

Novel fabrication of hydrophobic poly(p-phenylene terephthalamide) paper with superior tear strength and high dielectric breakdown strength

Complicated manufacture of poly(p-phenylene terephthalamide) (PPTA) paper limits its wider application. In this study, the facile gelation process was proposed to fabricate PPTA paper by injecting spontaneous-gelling low molecular weight PPTA (LMW-PPTA) solution onto the surface of non-woven PPTA fabric composed of chopped PPTA fibers. Subsequently, the PPTA papers and hydrophobic poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) doped PPTA paper were eventually obtained by gelation, washing and pressing. The mechanical properties, electric insulation property and hydrophobicity of PPTA papers were apparently affected by the ratio of chopped PPTA fibers to LMW-PPTA polymers and the content of PVDF in the paper. Significantly, the facile-process and low-cost composite PPTA papers were proved with high tear strength, preeminent dielectric breakdown strength, great thermal stability and superior hydrophobicity, which shed light on a promising direction for developing high-performance insulating materials and honeycomb materials.

Thermoelectric Properties of One-Pot Hydrothermally Synthesized Solution-Processable PEDOT:PSS/MWCNT Composite Materials.

The combination of organic and inorganic materials has been considered an effective solution for achieving ambient thermoelectric energy harvesting and has been developing rapidly. Here, PEDOT:PSS/MWCNT (PPM) composite hydrogels were synthesized using the self-assembled gelation process of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) and the interaction between PEDOT:PSS and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) without the addition of any surfactant. After immersion in dimethyl sulfoxide and freeze-drying, the hydrogel is easily dispersed in water and used as a direct ink writing (DIW) 3D printing ink. At room temperature, the PPM-20 printed film with 20 wt% MWCNT solids achieved a maximum power factor of 7.37 μW m-1 K-2 and maintained stable thermoelectric properties during repeated bending cycles. On this basis, a thermoelectric generator (TEG) consisting of five legs was printed, which could be produced to generate an open circuit voltage of 6.4 mV and a maximum output power of 40.48 nW at a temperature gradient of 50 K, confirming its great potential for application in high-performance flexible organic/inorganic thermoelectric materials.

Mungbean and pumpkin protein isolates as novel ingredients for the development of meat analogs using heat-induced gelation technique

Mungbean and pumpkin are rich source of proteins and nutrients which could be utilized in novel food formulations. This study involves formulation of meat analog using mungbean protein isolate (MBPI) and pumpkin protein isolates (PPI) through optimization process using Box–Behnken Design (BBD) of response surface methodology (RSM). MBPI and PPI were used as base ingredients for the development of meat alternatives using an innovative heat-induced gelation process. Methylcellulose (MC) and gum Arabic were used as supporting matrices for obtaining desired texture of the meat analog. The emulsifying activity, water-holding capacity, and oil-holding capacity of MBPI and PPI were analyzed. The set of physicochemical response factors used in RSM was moisture content, protein content, color, and textural properties of the formulated meat analogs. The selected independent variables were set at three levels (−1, 0, 1) with protein ratio (20:10, 15:15, and 10:20 of MBPI-PPI), Water (32, 37, and 42%), and MC (5, 6, and 7%). RSM results showed that the model effectively described the correlation between the independent variables (protein ratio, water percentage, and MC percentage) and the response factors. The microstructure of the analog showed porous and fibrous structures. It was observed that the degree of cross-linking between protein molecules could have impacted the textural properties that were associated with viscoelastic characteristics as reflected in the rheological analysis. Overall, the study shows that the mungbean and pumpkin seed proteins could be utilized as a potential ingredient to improve the textural properties of the meat analog, while it is also recommended to explore such proteins with other mechanical processing techniques like extrusion.

FORMULATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF MUCOADHESIVE NASAL DRUG DELIVERY OF ROPINIROL HCL FOR BRAIN TARGETING

Objective: The purpose of this research was to create polymeric nanoparticles of ropinirole HCl for nasal administration utilising the ionic gelation process. Methods: The preparation method was optimized using box-behnken design employing chitosan concentration, guar gum concentration and surfactant concentration as independent variables were as Encapsulation efficiency and mucoadhesion of the formulation were selected as dependent variables. Differential scanning calorimetry and infrared spectroscopy analysis of the drug and polymers revealed that the drug and excipients are physicochemically compatible. Studies on entrapment efficiency, drug content, and In vitro release were conducted on the nanoparticles. Results: Each formulation was determined to have a drug content of between 60% and 70% and an entrapment efficiency of between 65% and 84%. In vitro drug release tests demonstrated that ropinirole HCl will release between 65 and 81 percent after 5 h. Conclusion: The results showed that the particle size, encapsulation effectiveness, and drug content were all significantly affected by the amounts of chitosan and guar gum.

Influence of the acrylamide-based monomer on the sintering of ceramics shaped by gelcasting

Alumina ceramics were prepared by gelcasting, based on an in-situ polymerization that promotes the formation of homogeneous green ceramic parts and allows the preparation of complex shapes and/or large-size ceramics. The influence of the monomer on the sintering behaviour of alumina pellets has been studied by considering three acrylamide-based monomers, i.e. acrylamide (AM), methacrylamide (MAM) and dimethylacrylamide (DMAA). Slurries with an alumina solid content of 50 vol% have been cast and pre-sintered pellets (1000 °C) with relative densities around 55% were obtained. These presintered pellets exhibit different granular packing, depending on the initial monomer used, as demonstrated by X-ray tomography, SEM and Hg porosimetry analyses. This results in significant differences in sintering behaviour, giving rise to very different final densities after 1 h sintering at 1530 °C: from 88% to 98%. This behaviour is described in terms of shrinkage rate, linked to the granular packing induced by the gelation process.

Electrically insulating PBO/MXene film with superior thermal conductivity, mechanical properties, thermal stability, and flame retardancy

Constructing flexible and robust thermally conductive but electrically insulating composite films for efficient and safe thermal management has always been a sought-after research topic. Herein, a nacre-inspired high-performance poly(p-phenylene-2,6-benzobisoxazole) (PBO)/MXene nanocomposite film was prepared by a sol-gel-film conversion method with a homogeneous gelation process. Because of the as-formed optimized brick and mortar structure, and the strong bridging and caging effects of the fine PBO nanofibre network on the MXene nanosheets, the resulting nanocomposite film is electrically insulating (2.5 × 109 Ω cm), and exhibits excellent mechanical properties (tensile strength of 416.7 MPa, Young’s modulus of 9.1 GPa and toughness of 97.3 MJ m−3). More importantly, the synergistic orientation of PBO nanofibres and MXene nanosheets endows the film with an in-plane thermal conductivity of 42.2 W m−1 K−1. The film also exhibits excellent thermal stability and flame retardancy. This work broadens the ideas for preparing high-performance thermally conductive but electrically insulating composites.

Gelation processes in an aqueous solution of l-cysteine/AgNO3 under the influence of metal salts with various valencies

Gelation processes in an aqueous solution of l-cysteine/AgNO3 under the influence of metal salts with various valencies

Coupling effects of human serum albumin and sodium chloride on biological desiccation patterns

Desiccation patterns of plasma sessile drops have attracted increasing attention, not only because of the fantastic underlying physics, but also due to their potential of being health diagnostic tools. However, plasma is a multicomponent system, which contains macromolecular proteins and inorganic salts; these components have complicated interactions to define pattern morphologies. Unfortunately, mechanisms of coupling effects of main components on pattern morphologies are still not clear, thus limiting their diagnostic applications. Here we show the coupling effects of human serum albumin (HSA) and sodium chloride (NaCl) on plasma desiccation patterns. Our experiments indicate that NaCl enhances the “coffee ring” effect of HSA to promote its aggregation at the peripheral region and narrows down its aggregation area; this would influence the distribution of internal stresses, resulting in a larger number of radial cracks, with a larger width but a shorter length, than cracks in pure HSA. In the meantime, HSA experiences the gelation process that propagates from the peripheral region to central region and causes the spatiotemporal deviation in the degree of solidification, which induces a higher concentration of NaCl in the central region, thus leading to the formation of crystal patterns. Our further experiments demonstrate that these characteristic patterns are correlated to the variation in the concentration of NaCl, which can be caused by hyponatremia and hypernatremia in real biofluids. Our findings not only provide a new mechanistic insight into biological desiccation patterns, but also bridge the gap between the understanding and diagnostic applications of these desiccation patterns.

Investigation of the relationship between gel strength and microstructure of surimi gel induced by dense phase carbon dioxide based on quantitative analysis

The microstructure of a surimi product determines its quality. Dense phase carbon dioxide (DPCD) can induce surimi gel formation, and the gel strength of the product are significantly better than that of heat-induced gels. The study analysed the changes of the surimi from golden pompano gel strength during the process of DPCD-induced gelation, and the changes of microstructure based on quantitative analysis of scanning electron microscope (SEM) image using ImageJ 1.42 software. The correlations between gel strength and microstructure was investigated. The results showed that the DPCD treatment significantly increased the cross-linking degree (CLD) and gel strength of surimi, compared with the raw surimi. The CLD and gel strength of surimi increased with the increase of DPCD treatment pressure, temperature and time. Quantitative microscopic analysis revealed that the number of pores (n) in the surimi gels increased and then decreased. The apparent porosity (ƞa), average pore area (Aa), average pore perimeter (Pa), fractal dimension (Df) and pore equivalent diameter (d) increased with the increase of DPCD treatment pressure, temperature and time. Correlation analysis showed that the CLD, ƞa, Aa, Pa, Df, d and median pore perimeter (Pc-50) were strongly positively correlated with the gel strength. In contrast, lacunarity (L) is strongly negatively correlated with the gel strength. The linear correlation coefficients between the CLD, ƞa and Df and the gel strength are 0.97, 0.95 and 0.96, respectively. These results provide a technical basis for DPCD to process high-quality surimi products. These findings also offer a novel approach for the testing and evaluating of the quality of surimi products.