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Review
. 2022 Mar 7;8(3):167.
doi: 10.3390/gels8030167.

Versatility of Hydrogels: From Synthetic Strategies, Classification, and Properties to Biomedical Applications

Zubair Ahmad  1 , Saad Salman  2 , Shahid Ali Khan  3 , Abdul Amin  1 , Zia Ur Rahman  1 , Youssef O Al-Ghamdi  4 , Kalsoom Akhtar  5 , Esraa M Bakhsh  5 , Sher Bahadar Khan  5   6
Affiliations
Review

Versatility of Hydrogels: From Synthetic Strategies, Classification, and Properties to Biomedical Applications

Zubair Ahmad et al. Gels. .

Abstract

Hydrogels are three-dimensional, cross-linked, and supramolecular networks that can absorb significant volumes of water. Hydrogels are one of the most promising biomaterials in the biological and biomedical fields, thanks to their hydrophilic properties, biocompatibility, and wide therapeutic potential. Owing to their nontoxic nature and safe use, they are widely accepted for various biomedical applications such as wound dressing, controlled drug delivery, bone regeneration, tissue engineering, biosensors, and artificial contact lenses. Herein, this review comprises different synthetic strategies for hydrogels and their chemical/physical characteristics, and various analytical, optical, and spectroscopic tools for their characterization are discussed. A range of synthetic approaches is also covered for the synthesis and design of hydrogels. It will also cover biomedical applications such as bone regeneration, tissue engineering, and drug delivery. This review addressed the fundamental, general, and applied features of hydrogels in order to facilitate undergraduates, graduates, biomedical students, and researchers in a variety of domains.

Keywords: applications; classification; drug delivery; hydrogels; synthetic strategies; wound healing.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Classification of hydrogels based on source.
Figure 2
Figure 2
List of hydrogels classified based on polymeric composition. IPN stands for the interpenetrating network (two or more polymer cross-linked hydrogels).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Dehydrated (a), swollen (b), and shrunken (c) hydrogels as a result of small changes in external stimuli, such as pH, temperature, and analyte concentration that influence the hydrogel hydrophilicity.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Biomedical applications of hydrogels.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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