Hydrogels are one of the important biomaterials for tissue engineering
applications. The hydrogel scaffolds’ state-of-the-art properties for clinical applications
are subject to on-going researches. Hydrogels, such as hybrid and protein-based ones,
contain protein domains. Hydrogels show unique advantages compared to other
polymeric materials; which made them applicable as periodontal materials and drug
carriers, as well as bone matrices. The first description of its use was developed by a
Scottish chemist, Thomas Graham, as a solid, jelly-like material that can have different
physical and mechanical properties. Gels are defined as a substantially dilute crosslinked
system, which doesn’t have flow in the steady-state. Gels can be typically
characterized as liquids, while they behave like solids due to a 3D cross-linked network
within the liquid. The gels’ IUPAC definition classifies them as a non-fluid polymer
network that is expanded throughout its whole volume by a fluid. Thus, this chapter
aims to describe the composition, synthesis techniques, and applications of hydrogel
scaffolds for biomedical approaches.
Keywords: Biotechnology, Hydrogel, Nanomaterials, Polymers, Scaffolds,
Tissue Engineering.
