Polyurethane Hydrogel Preparation
Polyurethane (PU) hydrogel is a class of three-dimensional, high-water-content gel materials composed of polyurethane embedded in or forming a network structure together with a large number of water molecules. It combines the mechanical strength and chemical versatility of traditional polyurethane materials with the softness, water retention, and biocompatibility of hydrogels. As a result, PU hydrogels have rapidly advanced in fields such as medical applications, biomimetic materials, tissue engineering, drug delivery, soft robotics, and sensors, becoming one of the key research directions for high-performance functional gels in recent years. BOC Sciences possesses leading technologies in hydrogel development and preparation. Leveraging a strong background in polymer chemistry and years of R&D experience, we offer integrated solutions ranging from molecular design and formulation optimization to small-scale and pilot-scale scale-up. Our services cover functional customization, process optimization, and shaping technologies, meeting the needs of medical, biomimetic, flexible electronics, and drug delivery applications. With a professional technical team and a flexible service system, BOC Sciences delivers efficient, controllable, and reproducible hydrogel preparation solutions to support research development and application translation.
What We Offer
Custom Polyurethane Hydrogels by BOC Sciences
BOC Sciences has systematic capabilities in the synthesis, formulation design, structural control, and engineering development of polyurethane materials and biomimetic hydrogels. We provide R&D and production support for various types of polyurethane hydrogels tailored to applications in medical materials, regenerative medicine, drug delivery, tissue engineering, sensors, and bioelectronics. The main categories include:
Hydrophilic Polyurethane Hydrogels
- Multi-block hydrophilic segment design (PEG, PEO, PVP, etc.) to adjust water content, swelling, and transparency.
- Mechanical properties, degradation rate, and crosslinking density can be customized according to medical requirements.
- One-stop services from small-scale formulation screening, batch stability verification to kilogram-scale scale-up production.
Biodegradable PU Hydrogels
- Synthesis based on biodegradable soft segments such as PCL, PLGA, PGA, PDO, with degradation times ranging from weeks to months.
- On-demand degradation can be achieved through enzyme-sensitive, oxidation-sensitive, or pH-sensitive bonds.
- Biological evaluation and formulation customization are provided for tissue repair, cell encapsulation, and microenvironment simulation.
Medical-Grade Polyurethane Hydrogels
- Raw materials, crosslinkers, and additives meet medical-grade standards, with full compliance documentation provided.
- Can be developed into highly transparent, antibacterial hydrogels for wound patches, dressings, contact sensors, and adhesive interfaces.
- Sterilization compatibility validation, mechanical and moisture permeability testing, and medical device registration material preparation are supported.
Self-Healing PU Hydrogels
- Self-healing systems based on dynamic covalent bonds (ester exchange, hydrazone, boronate ester) or strong reversible hydrogen bonds.
- Achieve room-temperature self-healing, rapid recovery, and tunable performance balancing high strength and flexibility.
- Ideal for durable hydrogels in flexible sensors, soft electronics, and biomimetic materials.
Functional & Antimicrobial PU Hydrogels
- Functional groups such as silver ions, quaternary ammonium salts, antimicrobial peptides, and oxidative stress scavengers can be introduced for customization.
- Enable antibacterial, anti-biofouling, anti-inflammatory, and wound-healing-promoting properties.
- Stability assessment, active agent release profiling, and performance testing for dressing or coating applications are provided.
Nanocomposite PU Hydrogels
- Reinforcements such as nanoclay, SiO₂, TiO₂, nanocellulose, and metal nanoparticles can be introduced in situ.
- Provide multi-functional engineering design with transparency, toughness, wear resistance, barrier properties, and conductivity.
- Support optimization of nanofiller dispersion, interfacial modification, and system stability verification.
Looking for Biomimetic Material Solutions?
From natural polymers to bio-inspired composites, BOC Sciences provides customized materials to accelerate your research and industrial applications.
Services
Polyurethane-Based Hydrogel Development & Manufacturing Services
Leveraging extensive polymer chemistry and crosslinking synthesis expertise, BOC Sciences offers end-to-end solutions from molecular design, formulation optimization, small-scale and pilot-scale preparation to scale-up production. Our team customizes the soft/hard segment composition, crosslinking strategies, hydrogel microstructure, and functional properties of polyurethane to ensure optimal performance, manufacturability, and application fit.
1Molecular Design and Formulation Development
- Supports formulation design for various soft segments such as polyether, polyester, and polycarbonate to meet requirements for flexibility, elasticity, degradability, and transparency.
- Designs multiple crosslinking approaches, including chemical, physical, double-network, and dynamic self-healing systems.
- Provides functionalization strategies such as conductivity, antibacterial properties, self-adhesion, active agent loading, and multi-stimuli responsiveness.
- Customizes material performance windows and formulation parameters according to target applications (dressings, sensors, regenerative medicine, etc.).
2PU Hydrogel Preparation Technologies
- Offers diverse preparation routes, including one-step prepolymer method, two-step prepolymer chain extension, in situ polymerization, and phase-separation self-assembly.
- Processing can be tailored to final form: cast films, freeze-dried porous structures, molding, pouring, water bath crosslinking, spray coating, or 3D printing.
- Supports multiple crosslinking strategies, including isocyanate crosslinking, polyether/polyester chain reactions, photo-curing, ionic, and thermal-triggered methods.
- Gelation kinetics, gel time, solid content, and viscosity can be adjusted for medical devices, flexible electronics, and biosensing applications to ensure processability and structural stability.
3Functionalization Development of PU Hydrogels
- Multi-dimensional functionalization strategies, including ionic/electronic conductivity, antibacterial, self-healing, enhanced adhesion, and structural reconfigurability.
- Development of stimuli-responsive systems, such as temperature, pH, light, electrical, shape-memory, and mechanical-responsive smart hydrogels.
- Supports incorporation of active substances like drugs, signaling molecules, bioactive groups, lubricants, and oxygen carriers for dressings, delivery, or biomimetic applications.
- Interface functionalization design, such as skin adhesion optimization, tissue integration enhancement, and metal/electrode interface modification, for wearable and implantable material development.
4Small-Scale and Pilot-Scale PU Hydrogel Preparation
- Provides gram-scale to hundred-gram small-scale preparation for rapid screening of structures and crosslinking systems.
- Pilot-scale (kilogram-level) synthesis, including prepolymer preparation, chain extension reactions, crosslinking system construction, and hydrogel shaping.
- Supports various shaping methods: film casting, pouring, injection molding, spraying, calendaring, and 3D printing inks.
- Ensures batch-to-batch formulation consistency, reproducibility of gelation behavior, and manufacturing parameters.
Characterization
Hydrogel Material Analysis and Characterization Services
BOC Sciences is equipped with an advanced polymer and hydrogel analytical platform, providing comprehensive characterization from chemical structure, mechanical properties, and microstructure to biological performance. This supports research and development, process verification, quality control, and regulatory submission with reliable data.
| Category | Test Items | Capabilities & Notes |
|---|
| Chemical Structure Analysis | - FTIR
- NMR
- GPC (Molecular weight & distribution)
- XPS/XRD
| - Identify functional groups, polymer composition, and segment structures.
- Evaluate hard/soft segment ratio and crosslinking behavior.
- Determine molecular weight and polydispersity.
|
| Mechanical Performance Testing | - Tensile/Compression testing
- DMA (Storage/Loss modulus)
- Adhesion tests (instant/sustained)
| - Assess strength, elasticity, and toughness.
- Analyze temperature- and frequency-dependent mechanical behavior.
- Quantify adhesion to skin/substrates for wound dressings and wearable sensors.
|
| Microstructure Characterization | - SEM/Cryo-SEM for pore and morphology analysis
- Confocal microscopy
| - Visualize porous networks, phase separation, and filler distribution.
- Evaluate 3D structure uniformity and network integrity.
|
| Hydrogel Property Evaluation | - Water content
- Swelling ratio
- Degradation rate
- Extractables/leachables analysis
| - Characterize hydrogel stability, hydration behavior, and long-term performance.
- Provide swelling/degradation profiles, including accelerated conditions.
|
| Biological Analysis (Upon Request) | - Cytocompatibility
- Cell adhesion/proliferation/differentiation
- Antimicrobial activity
| - Biological evaluation for medical dressings, tissue engineering, and soft biomaterials.
- Suitable for early-stage research, material screening, and functional assessment.
|
Advantages
Polyurethane Hydrogel Services: Benefits & Expertise
- Extensive Polymer Chemistry Expertise: Rich experience in polyurethane synthesis and hydrogel development, capable of designing various soft/hard segment ratios, crosslinking systems, and functionalized structures to meet complex application requirements.
- Custom Formulation Development: Provides comprehensive formulation optimization based on client application goals, including mechanical properties, water content, degradation rate, and modular functional customization, enabling rapid development of feasible solutions.
- Diverse Preparation and Shaping Technologies: Supports chemical/physical crosslinking, double-network structures, in situ curing, molding, casting, spraying, and 3D printing, ensuring both hydrogel performance and processing flexibility.
- From Lab-Scale to Scalable Production: Offers integrated services from gram-scale laboratory trials to kilogram-level pilot-scale and production, ensuring batch consistency and industrial feasibility.
- Rapid Project Support: Dedicated technical team provides full project follow-up from requirement analysis to process optimization, responding quickly to client inquiries and ensuring efficient project progress.
- Functionalization and Application Expansion: Capable of developing conductive, self-healing, antimicrobial, and stimuli-responsive hydrogels, providing customized solutions for medical, biomimetic, flexible electronics, and drug delivery applications.
- Professional Customer Service and Technical Support: Offers detailed process documentation, operation manuals, and production records to support technology transfer and subsequent R&D, ensuring smooth implementation in research or industrial projects.
Service Process
Step-by-Step Polyurethane Hydrogel Service Workflow
To ensure every polyurethane hydrogel development and preparation project is efficient, controllable, and meets client expectations, BOC Sciences has established a systematic service workflow. From requirement analysis to final delivery, a professional technical team oversees every step, guaranteeing material performance, process feasibility, and application implementation.
1Requirement Analysis & Project Evaluation
At the project's outset, we communicate closely with clients to clarify hydrogel application scenarios, performance targets, and special functional requirements. We also assess existing material systems and technical feasibility, developing a preliminary plan to ensure subsequent R&D aligns closely with client objectives.
2Molecular Design & Formulation Development
Based on application requirements, we design the polyurethane soft/hard segment ratio, chain types, crosslinking methods, and functionalization strategies. Formulations are optimized via molecular simulation or small-scale experiments, targeting precise control over mechanical properties, water content, degradation rate, and functional modules, resulting in a highly feasible initial solution.
3Lab-Scale Preparation
At the laboratory stage, we conduct gram- to hundred-gram-scale trials to verify hydrogel formulation feasibility, gelation behavior, and preliminary performance metrics. This stage allows rapid screening of different structures, crosslinking densities, and functional combinations, providing reliable foundational data for pilot-scale development and subsequent applications.
4Performance Optimization & Functional Development
Based on lab-scale results, we adjust gel crosslinking density, mechanical properties, water content, and functional modules to achieve desired self-healing, conductive, antimicrobial, or stimuli-responsive properties. Multiple rounds of optimization can be performed for different application scenarios, ensuring hydrogel stability and efficiency in target environments.
5Pilot-Scale Scale-Up & Process Optimization
At the pilot stage, we perform gram- to kilogram-scale scale-up trials, optimizing mixing, degassing, curing, and shaping process parameters to ensure gel uniformity and batch consistency. This stage focuses on verifying process feasibility and material performance stability, preparing for subsequent delivery and application.
6Final Delivery & Technical Support
After pilot-scale scale-up, we provide hydrogel samples that meet client experimental or application requirements, accompanied by detailed preparation records and operation instructions. The technical team offers formulation adjustment advice and usage guidance, ensuring smooth application in research, development, or functional validation.
Applications
Typical Application Scenarios of Polyurethane Hydrogels
With excellent flexibility, tunable mechanical properties, good biocompatibility, and multifunctional potential, polyurethane hydrogels demonstrate broad application value in medical materials, biomimetic engineering, flexible electronics, and drug delivery. BOC Sciences offers customized development and technical support to help clients achieve optimal material performance and functional matching.
Medical and Wound Care
- Used in dressings, wound patches, and surgical repair materials, offering breathability, moisture retention, and flexibility.
- Can be functionalized for antibacterial, degradable, or self-healing properties to enhance wound healing efficiency.
- Supports transparent designs for easy wound observation and care management.
Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine
- Serves as scaffolds for soft tissue, skin, or cartilage, providing three-dimensional support and cell growth space.
- Degradation rate and porosity can be tuned to promote cell adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation.
- Supports drug or growth factor functionalization for localized regulation and tissue repair.
Drug Delivery and Controlled Release Systems
- Acts as a smart carrier for sustained release, targeted delivery, or multi-stimuli-responsive release.
- Release rates precisely controlled via crosslinking density, swelling behavior, and functional modifications.
- Can be combined with microspheres or nanoparticles for multi-modal drug delivery and synergistic therapy.
Flexible Electronics and Sensor Materials
- Used in flexible electrodes, sensors, and wearable devices, providing conductivity and mechanical flexibility.
- Supports conductive, ionic-conductive, and self-healing functionalization to enhance device durability and reliability.
- Microstructure tuning enables optimized sensitivity and response speed for sensing applications.
FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is polyurethane a hydrogel?
Not exactly. Polyurethane itself is not a hydrogel, but it can be chemically modified to form a polyurethane-based hydrogel. A hydrogel is defined as a network of polymer chains that can absorb and retain large amounts of water. By introducing hydrophilic segments and crosslinking into polyurethane, it gains water-absorbing properties, forming a biocompatible, flexible, water-retaining material suitable for biomedical applications like wound dressings or tissue scaffolds.
What is a polyurethane hydrogel?
A polyurethane hydrogel is a water-absorbing polymer network made from polyurethane materials. It combines flexibility, biocompatibility, and mechanical strength, making it ideal for biomedical applications. These hydrogels can retain large amounts of water while maintaining structural integrity, suitable for wound dressings, tissue engineering, and drug delivery systems.
What are the key properties of polyurethane-based hydrogels?
Polyurethane-based hydrogels are known for their excellent elasticity, high water retention, biocompatibility, and tunable mechanical strength. They resist degradation under physiological conditions and can be engineered for specific drug release rates or tissue scaffolding requirements. Their versatility makes them widely used in medical, cosmetic, and tissue engineering applications.
How are polyurethane hydrogels used in medicine?
In medicine, polyurethane hydrogels are applied in wound dressings, burn treatments, and surgical scaffolds. Their flexibility and moisture-retaining properties promote faster healing while preventing infection. They are also used as drug delivery carriers and artificial tissues, where controlled water content and mechanical support are critical for patient safety and treatment efficacy.
Are polyurethane-based hydrogels safe for human use?
Yes, medical-grade polyurethane hydrogels are generally biocompatible and safe when properly synthesized. They are designed to minimize toxicity and immune reactions. Careful formulation ensures suitability for contact with skin or tissue, making them widely accepted in wound care, implants, and other biomedical applications. Regulatory compliance ensures additional safety assurance.
Can polyurethane hydrogels be customized for specific applications?
Absolutely. Polyurethane hydrogels can be tailored for water content, elasticity, degradation rate, and drug release properties. Customization allows their use in wound care, tissue engineering, and controlled drug delivery. By adjusting polymer composition and crosslinking, researchers can create hydrogels suited for various biomedical and industrial needs.
What advantages do polyurethane-based hydrogels offer over other hydrogels?
Polyurethane-based hydrogels offer superior mechanical strength, flexibility, and durability compared to conventional hydrogels. They maintain stability under stress, can be engineered for specific biomedical functions, and provide excellent biocompatibility. These properties make them ideal for applications where both performance and patient safety are essential.
