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Composites of electrospun‐fibers and hydrogels: A potential solution to current challenges in biological and biomedical field
Author(s) -
Xu Shuxin,
Deng Liandong,
Zhang Jianhua,
Yin Li,
Dong Anjie
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
journal of biomedical materials research part b: applied biomaterials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.665
H-Index - 108
eISSN - 1552-4981
pISSN - 1552-4973
DOI - 10.1002/jbm.b.33420
Subject(s) - self healing hydrogels , materials science , current (fluid) , electrospinning , composite material , field (mathematics) , nanotechnology , biomedical engineering , engineering , polymer , polymer chemistry , electrical engineering , mathematics , pure mathematics
With increasingly rigorous requirements for biomaterials, the design and fabrication of novel materials with smart functions are urgently needed. The fabrication of composite materials that can surmount individual shortcomings as well as bring synergistic benefits represents an efficient route to improve the performances and expand application scopes of biomaterials. Due to their unique structures and properties, electrospun‐fibers and hydrogels have been widely applied in many biological and biomedical fields. Based on this, more and more attentions have been paid on the composites of electrospun‐fibers and hydrogels as biomaterials, aiming to bring their individual superiority into full play as well as remedy their intrinsic defects. This review summarizes approaches used to integrate electrospun‐fibers and hydrogels into various structures and the development of their composites as a potential solution to some current challenges in drug delivery, tissue engineering and some other bio‐related aspects. The individual roles and mutual synergy of electrospun‐fibers and hydrogels in the composites will be emphasized. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 104B: 640–656, 2016.