Hydrogels for biomedical applications

This article reviews the composition and synthesis of hydrogels, the character of their absorbed water, and permeation of solutes within their swollen matrices. The most important properties of hydrogels relevant to their biomedical applications are also identified, especially for use of hydrogels as drug and cell carriers, and as tissue engineering matrices. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.