Self-healing hydrogels

Abstract In nature living organisms possess some special functions, including self-cleaning, superhydrophobicity, antireflection, and self-healing. Among these, self-healing gained academic curiosity, because of this property the lifespan extended, improve the safety, environmental impact and energy efficiency of the man-made material, and broaden their applications in various fields of life. In this chapter, a survey of the self-healing process and chemistry involved in self-healing hydrogel is covered and highlighted. The chemistry and mechanism of intrinsic self-healing in hydrogels are presented in detail with examples of self-healing hydrogels based on natural polymers. The emerging applications of self-healing hydrogel have been outlined in various fields.