Recent Advances in Composite Hydrogels Prepared Solely from Polysaccharides.

The proliferating demand for sustainable, biodegradable, and biologically safe materials has triggered the development of polysaccharide-based hydrogels. The translation of research on single polysaccharide-based hydrogels into their desired clinical or industrial application is minimal. This is attributable to their lack of mechanical strength, inadequate stability, and constrained the possibility of their modulation to obtain the desired property. Polysaccharide-based composite hydrogels (PCHs) have proven their mantle to counteract this issue while expanding the horizons for their applications. PCHs can be fabricated by physical and/or chemical interlinking techniques, which entails the association of macromolecular chain linkages. The resulting composites can impart remarkably higher stability and elevate the suitability and efficiency of the system. Owing to these advantages, the research on PCHs has been gaining momentum. They are emerging as a lucrative alternative for the conventional molecules used for the fabrication of such materials. The review would initially focus on providing a detailed outlook for the various physical/chemical techniques involved in the preparation of PCHs. Subsequently, the characterization techniques used to understand the structural and chemical behavior of PCHs would be discussed. The article would also elaborate on the various fields of application and the possible areas for future research of PCHs.