Hydrogels: Characterization and Applications

A hydrogel is a three-dimensional (3D) network of hydrophilic polymers with the potential to swell in water and hold a large amount of water. These polymers can maintain the structure due to chemical or physical cross-linking of individual polymer chains. Hydrogels possess a degree of flexibility very similar to natural tissue due to their significant water content. The presence of hydrophilic groups such as -NH2, -COOH, -OH, -CONH2, - CONH -, and -SO3H are responsible for the hydrophilicit...