Smart Hydrogels Meet Carbon Nanomaterials for New Frontiers in Medicine

Carbon nanomaterials include diverse structures and morphologies, such as fullerenes, nano-onions, nanodots, nanodiamonds, nanohorns, nanotubes, and graphene-based materials. They have attracted great interest in medicine for their high innovative potential, owing to their unique electronic and mechanical properties. In this review, we describe the most recent advancements in their inclusion in hydrogels to yield smart systems that can respond to a variety of stimuli. In particular, we focus on graphene and carbon nanotubes, for applications that span from sensing and wearable electronics to drug delivery and tissue engineering.

Automated summary

Carbon nanomaterials, including structures such as fullerenes, nano-onions, nanodots, nanodiamonds, nanohorns, nanotubes, and graphene-based materials, have garnered significant interest in medicine due to their unique electronic and mechanical properties. This review highlights the recent advancements in incorporating carbon nanomaterials into hydrogels to create smart systems capable of responding to various stimuli, with a focus on graphene and carbon nanotubes for applications ranging from sensing and wearable electronics to drug delivery and tissue engineering.