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Review
. 2021 Mar 11;13(6):856.
doi: 10.3390/polym13060856.

Multifunctional Hydrogel Nanocomposites for Biomedical Applications

Emma Barrett-Catton  1 , Murial L Ross  1 , Prashanth Asuri  1
Affiliations
Review

Multifunctional Hydrogel Nanocomposites for Biomedical Applications

Emma Barrett-Catton et al. Polymers (Basel). .

Abstract

Hydrogels are used for various biomedical applications due to their biocompatibility, capacity to mimic the extracellular matrix, and ability to encapsulate and deliver cells and therapeutics. However, traditional hydrogels have a few shortcomings, especially regarding their physical properties, thereby limiting their broad applicability. Recently, researchers have investigated the incorporation of nanoparticles (NPs) into hydrogels to improve and add to the physical and biochemical properties of hydrogels. This brief review focuses on papers that describe the use of nanoparticles to improve more than one property of hydrogels. Such multifunctional hydrogel nanocomposites have enhanced potential for various applications including tissue engineering, drug delivery, wound healing, bioprinting, and biowearable devices.

Keywords: bioprinting; biowearable devices; drug delivery; hydrogel nanocomposties; multifunctional; tissue engineering; wound healing.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Schematic showing the broad applicability of hydrogel nanocomposites in the biomedical industry.
Figure 2
Figure 2
A word cloud generated using the titles of the articles referenced in the review to highlight the broad applicability of multifunctional hydrogel nanocomposites in biomedical sciences and engineering. Word size approximately scales with the frequency of occurrence to highlight the key application areas.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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