Functional Nanomaterials on 2D Surfaces and in 3D Nanocomposite Hydrogels for Biomedical Applications

Abstract

An emerging approach to improve the physicobiochemical properties and the multifunctionality of biomaterials is to incorporate functional nanomaterials (NMs) onto 2D surfaces and into 3D hydrogel networks. This approach is starting to generate promising advanced functional materials such as self‐assembled monolayers (SAMs) and nanocomposite (NC) hydrogels of NMs with remarkable properties and tailored functionalities that are beneficial for a variety of biomedical applications, including tissue engineering, drug delivery, and developing biosensors. A wide range of NMs, such as carbon‐, metal‐, and silica‐based NMs, can be integrated into 2D and 3D biomaterial formulations due to their unique characteristics, such as magnetic properties, electrical properties, stimuli responsiveness, hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity, and chemical composition. The highly ordered nano‐ or microscale assemblies of NMs on surfaces alter the original properties of the NMs and add enhanced and/or synergetic and novel features to the final SAMs of the NM constructs. Furthermore, the incorporation of NMs into polymeric hydrogel networks reinforces the (soft) polymer matrix such that the formed NC hydrogels show extraordinary mechanical properties with superior biological properties.

Terasaki Institute: Innovating Personalized Health through Convergent Science and Bioengineering

“…Furthermore, biomaterial-based drug-delivery systems are being developed to provide closed-loop sensing and on-demand delivery of therapeutics. 6 Personalized implants: the development of implants that are tailored to the specific architectural or biological properties of defects is of great medical importance. In the Institute, patient-specific shape and size of implants are precisely manufactured using patient-derived anatomical information and clinically relevant biomaterials.…”

“…Furthermore, biomaterial-based drug-delivery systems are being developed to provide closed-loop sensing and on-demand delivery of therapeutics. 6 …”

Recent Advances in Injectable Hydrogels for Controlled and Local Drug Delivery

“…[5] To overcome these limitations, nanocomposite (NC) hydrogels have been developed, in which various nanomaterials (NMs) are incorporated into the hydrogel network. [6,7] NC hydrogels have been successfully used as mechanically stronger materials that can also improve the drug loading and the controlled delivery, allowing the hydrophobic drug encapsulation as well. Furthermore, depending on the types of NMs used in the preparation of NC hydrogels, it is possible to tune and improve the stimuli responsiveness and shear-thinning behavior of the hydrogels.…”

Antibacterial Hybrid Hydrogels

“…Hydrogels are 3D porous materials crosslinked by the chemical covalent bond of crosslinking agents or physical interactions such as hydrogen bonding, [ 86 ] aromatic ring π–π stacking, [ 87 ] metal coordination, [ 88 ] electrostatic interaction, [ 89 ] and hydrophobic interaction. [ 90 ] This kind of material can be endowed with desired properties, such as superior injectability, [ 91 ] adhesiveness and antioxidation, [ 92 ] superior mechanical properties, [ 93 ] self‐healing, [ 94,95 ] promoting tissue regeneration, [ 96 ] drug‐loading, [ 97 ] etc., and by changing the structure and molecular weight, or introducing specific chemical group or strengthening phases such as catechol group, nanoparticles, dynamic cross‐linking points, conductive components, and so on. Specifically, as potential dressing materials, some biocompatible hydrogels are similar to the extracellular matrixes and effectively promote wound healing.…”