Synthesis and Applications of Carbohydrate-Based Hydrogels

Abstract

Carbohydrate-based hydrogels are cross-linked three-dimensional structures of polymers, utilized for several purposes such as cell culturing, regenerative medicine, agriculture, contact lenses, biosensors, drug delivery, and tissue developing technology. The primary aim of this chapter is to review the literature regarding the classification of the carbohydrate-based hydrogels on the basis of their chemical structure, synthesis, and viability of their utilization. It also involved technologies adopted for hydrogel manufacturing. Hydrogels are most of the times manufactured from polar monomeric units. Based on the substrate material, they can be classified into natural polymer hydrogels, synthetic polymer hydrogels, and combinations of the two classes. Different fabrication processes such as polymerization, grafting, physical and chemical cross-linking, solution polymerization, and polymerization by irradiation are being discussed in this chapter. The synthesis of hydrogels is based on required applications. So this chapter also includes applications of carbohydrate-based hydrogels.