Q. In which of the following are hydrogels used? - Controlled drug delivery in patients
- Mobile air-conditioning systems
- Preparation of industrial lubricants
Select the correct answer using the code given below: (UPSC Prelims 2024)
Answer:
1 only
Notes: The correct answer is
[A] 1 only. Hydrogels are three-dimensional network polymers capable of absorbing and retaining large amounts of water or biological fluids.
- Controlled drug delivery (Statement 1 – Correct): This is one of the primary applications of hydrogels. Due to their biocompatibility and porous structure, they can be engineered to release specific medications at a controlled rate in response to external stimuli like pH, temperature, or enzyme activity. They are widely used in wound dressings and targeted drug delivery systems.
- Mobile air-conditioning systems (Statement 2 – Incorrect): These systems typically use refrigerants (like R-134a or HFO-1234yf) and mechanical compressors. Hydrogels do not have the thermodynamic properties required for the cooling cycles used in standard mobile air conditioning.
- Preparation of industrial lubricants (Statement 3 – Incorrect): Industrial lubricants are generally petroleum-based or synthetic oils (like polyalphaolefins). While hydrogels are used in some niche "biolubricants" for medical purposes (like artificial joints or contact lenses) to mimic biological tissues, they are not a standard material for general industrial machinery lubrication.
Hydrogels are increasingly important in "smart" technologies, specifically in agriculture (soil moisture retention), hygiene products (diapers), and tissue engineering, but their role in heavy industrial cooling or lubrication is not a standard application.