Hydrogels are three-dimensional soft polymeric materials that can entrap huge amounts of water. They are widely attractive in the biomedicine area because of their outstanding applications such as biosensors, drug delivery vectors, or matrices for cell scaffolds. Generally, the low mechanical strength and fragile structure of the hydrogels limit their feasibility, but this is not the case. In this work, acrylic acid–agar hydrogels with excellent mechanical properties were synthesized using gamma radiation as a crosslinking promoter. The obtained hydrogels exhibited a water absorption capacity up to 6000% in weight without breaking and keeping their shape; additionally, they showed a noticeable adhesion to the skin. The synthesized materials were characterized by infrared spectroscopy (FTIR-ATR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and mechanical testing. Additionally, their water uptake capacity and critical pH were studied. Net(Agar/AAc) hydrogel exhibited a noticeable capacity to load silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), which endowed it with antimicrobial activity that was demonstrated when challenged against Escherichia coli and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) on in vitro conditions.
In medical environments, polymeric surfaces tend to become contaminated, hindering the treatment and recovery from diseases. Biofouling-resistant materials, such as zwitterionic polymers, may mitigate this problem. In this work, the modification of PVC catheters with a binary graft of 4-vinylpyridine (4VP) and sulfobetaine methacrylate (SBMA) by the oxidative pre-irradiation method is proposed to develop pH-responsive catheters with an antifouling capacity. The ionizing radiation allowed us to overcome limitations in the synthesis associated with the monomer characteristics. In addition, the grafted materials showed a considerable increase in their hydrophilic character and antifouling capacity, significantly decreasing the protein adsorption compared to the unmodified catheters. These materials have potential for the development of a combined antimicrobial and antifouling capabilities system to enhance prophylactic activity or even to help treat infections.
Self-healing systems have a high capacity for regeneration, managing to
regain their functionality after suffering structural damage. This characteristic provides
the materials with high durability and security in their use. Living organisms are the
ideal self-healing systems, which is why they have served as inspiration for the
development of these materials. Self-healing synthetic systems also show biomimetic
characteristics and are widely studied as biomaterials. Different ceramic, metallic and
polymeric materials can show self-healing capacity, although the polymeric self healing systems have versatility, adaptability, and ease of synthesis. This chapter
describes the general aspects, properties, and classification of polymeric self-healing
materials, focusing on extrinsic and intrinsic self-healing materials. The self-healing
behavior of extrinsic materials depends on microcapsules and vascular structures that
act as healing agents’ delivery systems. The self-healing behavior of intrinsic materials
is governed by the presence of a dynamic crosslinking based on dynamic covalent
bonds or non-covalent intermolecular interactions. In addition, examples of current
developments in this field are shown.
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