ABSTRACT
Polymer hydrogels constitute a group of prospective materials that find extensive use in health care and tissue engineering. They are high-molecular-weight three-dimensional cross-linked hydrophilic polymer networks that can imbibe and hold large quantities of water and biofluids. Their swellability, permeability, viscoelastic features, mechanical properties, etc., are altered by changing their chemical structure, cross-linking, and environmental parameters such as ionic strength, temperature, pH, and presence of electric or magnetic field. This entry is devoted to reviewing the classification, synthesis, structure–property relation, characterization, and medical applications of this potential multifunctional hydrogel in controlled and targeted drug delivery, regenerative medicine, medical device, ophthalmology, wound care, and embolization. The trends in future research of this material are also highlighted.
