Research progress of radiation synthesis and application of hydrogels

Hydrogels have wide prospects for application due to their unique three-dimensional network structures and good material compatibility. With the advantages such as no initiators and high controllability, the synthesis of hydrogels by ionizing radiation initiation method has attracted much attention. What is more, it can be carried out at room temperature or even at low temperatures. This review introduces the radiation synthesis methods of hydrogels, including the radiation crosslinking of polymers, the radiation polymerization and crosslinking of monomers and the radiation grafting copolymerization of monomers according to the reactivity of monomers and polymers exposed to the high-energy rays. And the hydrogels’ current application progress in the fields of daily use, industrial and agricultural, biomedical and energy fields has been summarized in details. Finally the future development direction of this field is prospected.