From Concepts Towards Application: Tailored Hydrogel Systems as Versatile Materials in the Biomedical Field

The rapidly evolving field of biomedicine demands innovative solutions to complex medical challenges, necessitating interdisciplinary approaches in materials development. Polymeric materials, particularly hydrogels, have emerged as vital components in addressing biomedical challenges due to their unique physicochemical properties and biocompatibility.
This work investigates the development and application of hydrogel systems across three critical biomedical domains: biosensors, wound therapy, and implant technology. While these applications present distinct challenges, they share the fundamental requirement to precisely engineer the polymer architecture and the respective crosslinking mechanism.
The research focuses on polymers based on 2-oxazoline and on acrylamide derivatives, respectively, which were selected for their synthetic versatility and adaptability to diverse application requirements. Various crosslinking strategies were systematically investigated, including simultaneous deprotection and crosslinking, multiphoton as well as one-photon photocrosslinking. For that, each methodology was evaluated within its specific application context. Specifically, the investigation encompasses comprehensive characterization of the resulting hydrogel systems, with particular emphasis on thermoresponsive behavior and surface properties including antifouling, anti-adhesive, and antibacterial characteristics.
This thesis provides fundamental insights into both the underlying principles of tailored polymer network formation and their specific biomedical applications, contributing to the broader understanding of hydrogel-based materials in biomedicine.