12 - Nanofiber-based hydrogels and aerogels

Abstract

Nanofiber-based hydrogels (NFHGs) and nanofiber-based aerogels (NFAGs) prepared by the combination of traditional hydrogels and novel nanofibers have been demonstrated to have great potential applications in various research fields, due to their integrated advantages of good biocompatibility and degradability, high liquid holding capacity, extreme flexibility and enhanced mechanical strength, eminent superhydrophilicity, excellent and ultralight porosity, and structural tenability. In this chapter, the widely studied multifunctional applications of NFHGs and NFAGs, which are involved in drug delivery, wound healing, tissue engineering, and oil/water separation, are also presented. Nanocomposite hydrogels combine the properties and functions of a variety of composite hydrogels with the potential for directional control. In recent years, various synthetic and natural polymers have been prepared by electrospinning and self-assembly technology to obtain nanofibers with high specific surface area, which has great application potential in the biomedical fields of biosensors, drug delivery, and tissue engineering. Among them, self-assembling peptide nanofiber hydrogels have excellent mechanical properties and amazing biocompatibility, so they have been extensively studied in a variety of biomedical applications, such as cell culture, tissue engineering, and drug delivery. Furthermore, some unsolved scientific issues and possible directions for future development of this research field are also intensively discussed.