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Updated: Feb 9, 2026
10:18
Fragmenting Bulk Hydrogels and Processing into Granular Hydrogels for Biomedical Applications
Published on: May 17, 2022
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Recent advances in plant polyphenol-based adhesive hydrogels for biomedical applications
Yajun Chen1, Xue Guo2, Yuxin Zhang2
1Suzhou Institute of Trade & Commerce, Suzhou, 215009, People's Republic of China.
Biomaterials Advances
|February 7, 2026
Summary
Plant polyphenol-based hydrogels offer remarkable adhesion, antibacterial, and self-healing properties for biomedical uses. This review details their design, diverse adhesive capabilities, and applications in wound healing and drug delivery.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Biomedical Engineering
- Polymer Chemistry
Background:
- Plant polyphenol-based hydrogels exhibit unique properties like adhesion, antibacterial activity, self-healing, and biocompatibility.
- Their adhesive performance is engineerable for diverse biomedical applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review design strategies for plant polyphenol-based hydrogels.
- To discuss various adhesive properties (dry, underwater, switchable, specific, asymmetrical) and their underlying mechanisms.
- To summarize biomedical applications and future research directions.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies on plant polyphenol-based hydrogels.
- Analysis of design strategies and their impact on adhesive properties.
- Categorization of biomedical applications and future prospects.
Main Results:
- Various design strategies enable tailored adhesive properties in plant polyphenol hydrogels.
- These hydrogels demonstrate potential in wound dressings, drug delivery, tissue scaffolds, and wearable electronics.
- Key challenges and future research avenues are identified.
Conclusions:
- Plant polyphenol-based hydrogels are versatile biomaterials with tunable adhesive properties.
- Further research can unlock their full potential in advanced biomedical applications.
- This review provides insights for developing innovative polyphenol-based adhesive hydrogels.
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