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Shilpa S. Ruikar,
Sheeth Toppo,
- Assistant Professor, Department of Microbiology, Krishna Institute of Science and Technology, Krishna Vishwa Vidyapeeth “Deemed to be University”, Taluka-Karad, Dist- Satara, Maharashtra, India
- Assistant Professor, Department of Home Science, Kolhan University, Jharkhand, India
Abstract
The chemical structure and crosslinking density of polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA) can be systematically tailored, making it a versatile polymeric network in biomedical engineering, drug delivery, tissue engineering, biosensing and advanced manufacturing. PEGDA is a polymerizable acrylate-functionalized hydrophilic PEG that can be polymerized to make three-dimensional networks via free-radical polymerization, specifically photoinitiated. The resulting network architecture depends on the PEGDA molecular weight, the concentration of precursors, the polymerization conditions, the swelling, the mechanical properties, the viscoelastic properties, the transport properties and the biological properties, i.e. the crosslinking density and the connectivity of the chains. Traditional PEGDA hydrogels can, however, have low mechanical strength, toughness, and functionality, which has spurred the efforts for nanocomposite network structures. The use of inorganic, carbon-based, ceramic and other nanoparticulate fillers offers opportunities for altering the network structure, reinforcing polymer–nanoparticle interfaces, and imparting new electrical, thermal, optical, antimicrobial or bioactive functions. The performance of these materials is influenced by the composition and concentration of the nanofiller, as well as the dispersion, surface chemistry, interfacial interactions and incorporation into the crosslinked polymer network. This review outlines the basic polymer chemistry of PEGDA hydrogels, mechanisms for network formation, principles for the integration of nanofillers and structure–property relationships of nanocomposites. Recent fabrication techniques and future biomedical applications are also addressed, along with some of the issues of nanoparticle aggregation, network heterogeneity, reproducibility, long-term stability, and translational manufacturing. The molecular chemistry-nanoscale architecture-macroscopic properties relationship is extremely important in designing next-generation PEGDA-based nanocomposite hydrogels with exactly the correct functionality.
Keywords: PEGDA hydrogels, polymer chemistry, photopolymerization, crosslinking, hydrogel network, nanocomposites, nanofillers, network architecture.
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Journal of Polymer & Composites
| Volume | 14 | |
| 05 | ||
| Received | 24/08/2026 | |
| Accepted | 18/09/2026 | |
| Published | 07/10/2026 | |
| Publication Time | 44 Days |