Biodegradable Cellulose-based Hydrogels: Design and Applications

Hydrogels are macromolecular networks able to absorb and release water solutions in a reversible manner, in response to specific environmental stimuli. Such stimuli-sensitive behaviour makes hydrogels appealing for the design of ‘smart’ devices, applicable in a variety of technological fields. In pa...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inMaterials Vol. 2; no. 2; pp. 353 - 373
Main Authors Sannino, Alessandro, Demitri, Christian, Madaghiele, Marta
Format Journal Article Book Review
LanguageEnglish
Published Basel MDPI AG 16.04.2009
Molecular Diversity Preservation International
Subjects
biodegradation
cellulose
Hydrogels
Review
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Summary:Hydrogels are macromolecular networks able to absorb and release water solutions in a reversible manner, in response to specific environmental stimuli. Such stimuli-sensitive behaviour makes hydrogels appealing for the design of ‘smart’ devices, applicable in a variety of technological fields. In particular, in cases where either ecological or biocompatibility issues are concerned, the biodegradability of the hydrogel network, together with the control of the degradation rate, may provide additional value to the developed device. This review surveys the design and the applications of cellulose-based hydrogels, which are extensively investigated due to the large availability of cellulose in nature, the intrinsic degradability of cellulose and the smart behaviour displayed by some cellulose derivatives.
ISSN:1996-1944
1996-1944
DOI:10.3390/ma2020353