Abstract
Carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS), as one of the most investigated derivatives of chitosan, has been widely used for the synthesis of hydrogels because of its good water solubility, biocompatibility, and biodegradability. CMCS-based hydrogels can be obtained through physical approaches such as hydrogen bonding, freeze-thawing, and ionotropic gelation, or via chemical approaches such as grafting, free-radical polymerization, enzymatic reaction, and condensation reaction. The hydrogels exhibit outstanding physicochemical and biological properties, including interconnected porous morphology, self-healing and swelling performance, antibacterial activity, and stimuli sensitivity, which makes them a material of choice for various biomedical applications, particularly in drug delivery, tissue engineering, and wound dressing. This chapter aims to provide an overview of the latest advances in the synthesis, properties, and biomedical applications of CMCS-based hydrogels.