Issue 5, 2014

Smart hydrogels as functional biomimetic systems

Abstract

Stimuli-responsive (smart) hydrogels have attracted widespread attention as biomimetic systems due to their ability to respond to subtle changes in external and internal stimuli ranging from physical triggers such as temperature and electric field to chemical triggers like glucose and pH. Besides their intriguing behavior, the main interest in such smart hydrogels lies in their potential industrial and biomedical applications. Some of these applications include injectable biomaterials, tunable surfaces for cell sheet engineering, sensors, and actuators. In this review, we discuss the fundamental principles underlying the stimuli-responsive behavior of hydrogels and how these properties have led to major technological innovations. We also review recent advancements in the field of hydrogels, including self-healing and stimuli-responsive degradation in hydrogels. We conclude by providing a perspective on the potential use of smart hydrogels as multifunctional, bioactuating systems for cell and tissue engineering.

Graphical abstract: Smart hydrogels as functional biomimetic systems

Article information

Article type
Review Article
Submitted
13 Nov 2013
Accepted
15 Jan 2014
First published
12 Feb 2014

Biomater. Sci., 2014,2, 603-618

Author version available

Smart hydrogels as functional biomimetic systems

H. L. Lim, Y. Hwang, M. Kar and S. Varghese, Biomater. Sci., 2014, 2, 603 DOI: 10.1039/C3BM60288E

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