Design of application-optimized hydrogels based on a swollen polymer network model

Abstract

Design of application-optimized hydrogels is particularly promising for expanding their biomedical applications. Recently, a team led by Professor Nicholas Peppas, a world leader in the field of hydrogel, established a swollen polymer network (SPN) model to organize the design principles of application-optimized hydrogels. Based on the fundamental structure-to-function strategy, the established SPN model can accurately predict how hydrogel synthesis conditions will determine swelling, stiffness, and solute transport and consequently provide deep insight into the correlation between hydrogel's structure and its physical properties. Such a robust mathematical model can facilitate the design and synthesis of hydrogel for biomedical applications.