A mini review on hydrogels classification and recent developments in miscellaneous applications

Hydrogels are composed of three-dimensional smart and/or hungry networks, which do not dissolve in water but swell considerably in an aqueous medium, demonstrating an extraordinary ability to absorb water into the reticulated structure. Such inherent feature is a subject of considerable scientific research interest which leads to a dominating path in extending their potential in hi-tech applications. Over the past decades, significant progress has been made in the field of hydrogels. Further, explorations are continuously being made in all directions at an accelerated pace for their extensive usage. In view of this, the present review discusses the subject on the miscellaneous hydrogels with regard to their raw materials, methods of fabrication and applications. In addition, this article summarizes the classification of hydrogels, based on their cross-linking and physical states. Lately, a brief outlook on the future prospects of hydrogels is also presented. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.