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E u r o S c i C o n C o n f e r e n c e o n
Chemistry
2018
Chemistry 2018
Journal of Organic & Inorganic Chemistry
ISSN 2472-1123
F e b r u a r y 1 9 - 2 0 , 2 0 1 8
P a r i s , F r a n c e
Page 67
Hydrogels (HGs), or water-based gels, are soft materials
formed by a three-dimensional polymeric structure which
can be chemically, physically or enzymatically cross-linked.
The HGs have attracted considerable attention due to their
great promise that they hold for a wide range of applications.
The affinity for water, the ability to swell in biological fluids,
and their similarity to some natural tissues has made it
a material of biological relevance. The capacity of water
absorption (ratio of swollen weight to dry weight) depends
on the porosity, crosslinking density, and chemical nature of
the polymer chains carrying functional groups such as –NH2,
–COOH, –CONH2, and –SO3 H. Hydrogels may be prepared
so that their polymer network (equilibrium swelling and
absorption kinetic) undergo changes in response to external
stimuli, such as temperature, pH, ionic strength, magnetic
field, light, and so on. Both natural and synthetic hydrogels
Hydrogel: a versatile
material and its
applications
Ernandes Taveira Tenório
-Neto
State University of Ponta Grossa, Brazil
can be addressed to those proposes. For the natural one, the
main advantages include cell adhesion and biodegradation.
However, such materials have been shown to be mechanically
unsatisfactory and potentially immunogenic, restricting the
uses above. Thus, the synthetic and natural polymers have
been combined to form more efficient hydrogels owing to their
well-defined shape being engineered to be degradable and
functional. HGs can be engineered to be applied in biosensors,
controlled release of drugs, tissue engineering wound dressings,
and contact lenses. They can also find efficient applications in
agriculture, both as soil conditioners and as nutrient carriers. In
this work, our purpose is to show and discuss the most relevant
data on the synthesis approach, characterization, as well as
their applications focused on agriculture.
J Org Inorg Chem 2018, Volume: 4
DOI: 10.21767/2472-1123-C1-003