Abstract

Hydrogels are cross-linked polymeric networks swollen in water, physiological aqueous solutions or biological fluids. They are synthesized by a wide range of polymerization methods that allow for the introduction of linear and branched units with specific molecular characteristics. In addition, they can be tuned to exhibit desirable chemical characteristics including hydrophilicity or hydrophobicity. The synthesized hydrogels can be anionic, cationic, or amphiphilic and can contain multifunctional cross-links, junctions or tie points. Beyond these characteristics, hydrogels exhibit compatibility with biological systems, and can be synthesized to render systems that swell or collapse in response to external stimuli. This versatility and compatibility have led to better understanding of how the hydrogel’s molecular architecture will affect their physicochemical, mechanical and biological properties. We present a critical summary of the main methods to synthesize hydrogels, which define their architecture, and advanced structural characteristics for macromolecular/biological applications.

Details

Title
Advanced biomedical hydrogels: molecular architecture and its impact on medical applications
Author
Peters, Jonathan T 1 ; Wechsler, Marissa E 2 ; Peppas, Nicholas A 3 

 McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, 200 E. Dean Keeton, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Institute for Biomaterials, Drug Delivery, and Regenerative Medicine, The University of Texas at Austin, 107 W. Dean Keeton, Austin, TX 78712, USA 
 Department of Biomedical Engineering and Chemical Engineering, The University of Texas at San Antonio, One UTSA Circle, San Antonio, TX, 78249, USA 
 McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, 200 E. Dean Keeton, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Institute for Biomaterials, Drug Delivery, and Regenerative Medicine, The University of Texas at Austin, 107 W. Dean Keeton, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, 107 W. Dean Keeton, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Division of Molecular Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, 107 W. Dean Keeton, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Department of Surgery and Perioperative Care, and Department of Pediatrics, Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, 1601 Trinity St., Bldg. B, Austin, TX 78712, USA 
Publication year
2021
Publication date
Dec 2021
Publisher
Oxford University Press
ISSN
20563418
e-ISSN
20563426
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
3171511107
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press. This work is published under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.