title: Hydrogels 2.0: improved properties with nanomaterial composites for biomedical applications.
abstract: The incorporation of nanomaterials in hydrogels (hydrated networks of crosslinked polymers) has emerged as a useful method for generating biomaterials with tailored functionality. With the available engineering approaches it is becoming much easier to fabricate nanocomposite hydrogels that display improved performance across an array of electrical, mechanical, and biological properties. In this review, we discuss the fundamental aspects of these materials as well as recent developments that have enabled their application. Specifically, we highlight synthesis and fabrication, and the choice of nanomaterials for multifunctionality as ways to overcome current material property limitations. In addition, we review the use of nanocomposite hydrogels within the framework of biomedical and pharmaceutical disciplines.
authors.affiliation: Center of Nanotechnology, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Department of Medicine, Center for Biomedical Engineering, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
authors.forename: Adnan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Memic
authors.forename: Hani A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Alhadrami
authors.forename: M Asif
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Hussain
authors.forename: Musab
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aldhahri
authors.forename: Fozia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Al Nowaiser
authors.forename: Faten
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Al-Hazmi
authors.forename: Rahmi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Oklu
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Khademhosseini
mesh_terms: D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000138:chemical synthesis*; D020100:Hydrogels / Q000138:chemical synthesis*; D053769:Nanocapsules / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D053761:Nanocomposites / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010316:Particle Size; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D020100:Hydrogels; D053769:Nanocapsules