Tuning methods and mechanical modelling of hydrogels

Hydrogels are cross-linked polymeric networks filled with high water content. They are used as tissue/cell culture scaffolds, biomedical devices and healthcare products. As the performance of hydrogels is significantly affected by their mechanical properties, it is required to tune hydrogels into desired mechanical systems. To provide guidance to the tuning process, it is important to evaluate and model the mechanical properties of hydrogels. However, due to the structural complexity of hydrogels, both tuning and modelling face challenges and uncertainties. This article briefly reviews the tuning methods and summarises key mechanical models that address linear elastic, hyperelastic, viscoelastic, poroelastic and hybrid mechanical behaviours of hydrogels.