Hydrogel based materials: A progressive approach towards advancement in biomedical applications

Abstract

Hydrogels have received immense attraction due to their exceptional properties as well as various applications in the biomedical field in the past decade. The 3D porous structure constructed through a cross-linked polymer network represents the hydrogels that exhibit hydrophilic properties along with adjustable physical and chemical properties. They are ideal candidates for drug delivery, implants, and/or tissue engineering applications due to their unique properties. Smart or stimuli-responsive hydrogels significantly control their material’s properties as a response to external stimuli like pH, temperature, and biological components. This controllable property of the hydrogel system enables inventive approaches in healthcare through advanced treatment strategies against various diseases including wound healing as well as tissue engineering. As the research work on the synthesis of hydrogel systems is rapidly expanding and becoming very voluminous, we are presenting here the last three years’ progress. The first part of this review summarises the classification and synthesis process of hydrogels. While the second part of this review is focused on recently synthesized hydrogels utilized for biomedical applications. Mainly polysaccharides, polyether and ester-based hydrogels are discussed in this review to provide an overview of recent work.