Applications of Hydrogels with Special Physical Properties in Biomedicine
1
School of Environmental and Materials Engineering, College of Engineering, Shanghai Polytechnic University, Shanghai 201209, China
2
Modern Service Department, College of International Vocational Education, Shanghai Polytechnic University, Shanghai 201209, China
3
Research Center of Resource Recycling Science and Engineering, Shanghai Polytechnic University, Shanghai 201209, China
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
These authors contributed equally to this work.
Polymers 2019, 11(9), 1420; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym11091420
Received: 28 July 2019
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Revised: 19 August 2019
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Accepted: 27 August 2019
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Published: 29 August 2019
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biopolymers for Medical Applications)
As a polymer matrix containing a large amount of water, hydrogels have been widely used in many fields such as biology and medicine due to its similarity to extracellular matrix components, and its contact with blood, body fluids, and human tissue does not affect the metabolic processes of living organisms. However, due to the lack of unique physical properties of traditional polymer hydrogels, its further application in the high-end field is limited. With the progress of study, a series of hydrogels with special structures, such as double network hydrogel, composite hydrogel, Tetra-PEG gel, and topological gel, have improved the situation to a large extent. At the same time, the progress of research on the biocompatibility and biodegradability of hydrogels, which are expected to be used in biomedical fields, is also worthy of attention. This review introduces four such types of high-strength polymeric hydrogels and the mechanisms for improving their mechanical strength. Moreover, a discussion will be made around specific methods for imparting special physical properties to hydrogels and applications in the field of biomedicine such as cell culture, medical surgery, tissue engineering, and biosensing. At the end of the review, the main reasons and contradictions for the limits of the current applications are explained. An outlook on the future research in related fields and the importance of carrying out research in this area to promote medical progress are emphasized.
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Keywords:
hydrogel; physical properties; biomedicine
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MDPI and ACS Style
Chen, G.; Tang, W.; Wang, X.; Zhao, X.; Chen, C.; Zhu, Z. Applications of Hydrogels with Special Physical Properties in Biomedicine. Polymers 2019, 11, 1420. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym11091420
AMA Style
Chen G, Tang W, Wang X, Zhao X, Chen C, Zhu Z. Applications of Hydrogels with Special Physical Properties in Biomedicine. Polymers. 2019; 11(9):1420. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym11091420
Chicago/Turabian StyleChen, Gong, Wenwei Tang, Xiaohui Wang, Xueling Zhao, Cheng Chen, and Zhigang Zhu. 2019. "Applications of Hydrogels with Special Physical Properties in Biomedicine" Polymers 11, no. 9: 1420. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym11091420
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