Issue 12, 2021

Advances in biomedical applications of self-healing hydrogels

Abstract

Hydrogels are important biomaterials that have several applications in drug and cell delivery, tissue engineering, three-dimensional (3D) printing and more recently, in sensing and actuating applications. With the advent of self-healing hydrogels, it is becoming possible to have smarter materials with sustainable mechanical properties under stress and also added functionalities. The mechanisms responsible for the self-healing behavior of these materials are related to their internal structure and processes triggered by damage they may sustain. These mechanisms rely on either chemical bonding or physical interactions of the structural components of hydrogels, or on both. Many self-healing hydrogels have been developed and tested in vitro and in animals. However, there are still challenges, especially with healing characteristics that need to be addressed and investigated in animal experiments before their clinical applications can be initiated, for which a multidisciplinary approach is required. In the current paper, various biomedical applications of self-healing hydrogels are discussed in detail, highlighting current challenges and future prospects.

Graphical abstract: Advances in biomedical applications of self-healing hydrogels

Article information

Article type
Review Article
Submitted
06 জানু. 2021
Accepted
10 মার্চ 2021
First published
13 মার্চ 2021

Mater. Chem. Front., 2021,5, 4368-4400

Advances in biomedical applications of self-healing hydrogels

H. Rammal, A. GhavamiNejad, A. Erdem, R. Mbeleck, M. Nematollahi, S. Emir Diltemiz, H. Alem, M. A. Darabi, Y. N. Ertas, E. J. Caterson and N. Ashammakhi, Mater. Chem. Front., 2021, 5, 4368 DOI: 10.1039/D0QM01099E

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements