HYDROGEL INTRINSIC THEMES: CLASSIFICATION, FORMULATION, AND IMPLEMENTATIONS - A BRIEF REVIEW

Abstract

We focused on the fundamental concepts of hydrogels in this review, including classification, the polymers involved, synthesis methods, hydrogel types, properties, and applications. Natural polymers, synthetic polymers, polymerizable synthetic monomers, and a combination of natural and synthetic polymers can all be used to make hydrogels. Physical, chemical, and hybrid bonding are used in the synthesis of hydrogels. Bonding can be formed through a variety of methods, including solution casting, solution mixing, bulk polymerization, free radical mechanism, radiation method, and interpenetrating network formation. Mechanical strength, biocompatibility, biodegradability, swellability, and stimuli sensitivity are all important properties of the hydrogels that were created. Furthermore, smart hydrogels have been classified based on their external response, pH, temperature, electric, light, and enzyme. This review goes into great detail about the type of hydrogel, whether it's the internal structure or the external response. Furthermore, we discuss some of the most important applications of these hydrogels in the field of biomedicine, such as drug delivery systems, scaffolds for tissue engineering, actuators, biosensors, and many others.