Gels and hydrogels articles within Nature Communications

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  • Article
    | Open Access

    Integrating sensing and actuation capabilities in soft robots is crucial for advancements in medical diagnostics and targeted therapies. Zhang et al. developed bio-inspired sensory robots with multifunctionality for minimally invasive medical procedures.

    • Lin Zhang
    • , Sicheng Xing
    •  & Wubin Bai

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Soft elastic materials could be useful in the fabrication of brain-machine interfaces, but achieving the desirable material properties can be challenging. Here, the authors report control of the amorphous-crystalline transition of polymers to alter hydrogel properties and monitor mouse behaviour.

    • Sizhe Huang
    • , Xinyue Liu
    •  & Siyuan Rao

  • Article
    | Open Access

    It is useful to be able to equip marine animals with sensors, but it can be challenging to attach these to soft marine organisms. Here, the authors use an adhesive hydrogel to achieve rapid attachment of sensors to marine life including jellyfish, squid and lobster.

    • Camilo Duque Londono
    • , Seth F. Cones
    •  & Xuanhe Zhao

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Photo-crosslinking polymerization facilitates precise control of hydrogel formation for various applications including tissue engineering, but most existing photo-crosslinking methods fail to achieve deep-tissue penetration, especially within bone structures. Here the authors report a strategy of low-dose X-ray-activated polymerization that enables deep-tissue hydrogel formation.

    • Hailei Zhang
    • , Boyan Tang
    •  & Gang Han

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Smartphone cameras have been widely used for analysis purposes, but the use of magnetometers in smartphones is limited in this regard. In this study, the authors present a smartphone analyte sensor platform that utilizes the built in magnetometer to directly translate signals through analyte-responsive magnetic-hydrogel composites.

    • Mark Ferris
    •  & Gary Zabow

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Suture repair is the current clinical treatment for meniscus tears, but inaccessible tears in company with re-tears susceptibility remain unresolved. Here the authors address these issues by developing a meniscus adhesive-based strategy for the seamless and dense reconstruction of torn meniscus.

    • Xihao Pan
    • , Rui Li
    •  & Hongwei Ouyang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Environmentally adaptive hydrogels have great potential as soft robotics but achieving self-regulated reversal shape deformation in homogenous hydrogels under a constant stimulus is challenging. Here, the authors report responsive hydrogels functionalized with two photoswitchable spiropyrans that exhibit self-regulated transient deformation reversal when subjected to constant illumination.

    • Kexin Guo
    • , Xuehan Yang
    •  & Chuang Li

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Soft composite solids are building blocks for many functional and biological materials, yet it remains challenging to predict their mechanical properties. Zhao et al. propose a criticality framework to connect the mechanics to the critical behaviour near the shear-jamming transition of the dispersed inclusions.

    • Yiqiu Zhao
    • , Haitao Hu
    •  & Qin Xu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Mechanoelectric energy conversion is a potential solution for the power supply of soft devices, but the low current output for low frequency motions limits its applicability. Here, the authors report a hydrogel generator with mechanoionic current generation amplified by orders of magnitudes and its application as controlled drug-releasing system for wound healing.

    • Hongzhen Liu
    • , Xianglin Ji
    •  & Lizhi Xu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Photoelectrodes made of earth-abundant materials can contribute to low-cost and carbon-free hydrogen production, but suffer from a short lifetime. Here the authors report cryogel overlayer to increase the operation time of the device by regulating evolving hydrogen bubble dynamics.

    • Byungjun Kang
    • , Jeiwan Tan
    •  & Hyungsuk Lee

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Injectable pro-regenerative biomaterials are vital for developing minimally invasive regenerative treatment, but impeded by brittleness and lack of biological functions. Here the authors address these issues by engineering injectable functionalized composites that facilitate the sequential release of IL-4 and IGF-1 to regulate macrophages and stem cell behavior for enhanced in situ regeneration.

    • Yi Li
    • , Siyang Liu
    •  & Meifeng Zhu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The treatment of infected diabetic wounds faces obstacles of bacterial infection, hypoxia, hyperexpression of reactive oxygen species, and inflammation. Here, the authors address these issues by developing a programmed treatment strategy that utilizes live Haematococcus to promote healing of diabetic wounds in a comprehensive manner.

    • Yong Kang
    • , Lingling Xu
    •  & Xiaoyuan Ji

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Multifunctional composite hydrogels are promising candidates to develop smart and recyclable electronic components. Here, the authors report a reversible on-demand liquefication and solidification conductive gel formed by the self-assembly of photoresponsive host-guest complexes and MXene nanosheets which can be integrated into traditional solid-state circuits.

    • Yu-Liang Lin
    • , Sheng Zheng
    •  & Jiun-Tai Chen

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Ionic skins have potential in long-term physiological monitoring, but do not always achieve a desirable balance of viscosity and elasticity. Here, the authors report a material with hierarchical topological entanglements allowing desirable viscoelastic properties.

    • Huating Ye
    • , Baohu Wu
    •  & Peiyi Wu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    A wearable biological patch capable of producing multiple responses to light and electricity without interfering with daily activities is desired for skin cancer treatment but remains elusive. Herein, the authors report a skin-mountable and dual-responsive electrothermal patch for melanoma treatment by the co-therapy of photothermal and electrical stimulations.

    • Xingkai Ju
    • , Jiao Kong
    •  & Yongdong Jin

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Robust hydrogels offer a promising solution for the development of artificial skin for bionic robots, yet few hydrogels have a comprehensive performance comparable to real human skin. Here, the authors present a general method to convert traditional elastomers into tough hydrogels via a unique radiation-induced penetrating polymerization method.

    • Yuan Tian
    • , Zhihao Wang
    •  & Yunlong Wang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Soft robots have potential in a number of applications, but the self-regulated steering of the robots under static stimuli is a significant challenge. Here, the authors report the movement of knotbots by symmetry breaking and restoration to achieve tasks including gear rotation and rod climbing.

    • Qing Li Zhu
    • , Weixuan Liu
    •  & Zi Liang Wu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    A change material properties on application of stimuli is a useful property for hydrogels, but mechano-responsiveness in such materials is challenging to achieve. Here, the authors report a strain-responsive hydrogel, controlled by the activity of enzymes within the material.

    • Kuan Zhang
    • , Yu Zhou
    •  & Lifei Zheng

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Soft robots have potential in carrying out underwater tasks, but achieving the right level of adhesion and shape-changing ability is challenging. Here, the authors report the development of protein-based hydrogels with iron oxide nanoparticles with photothermal and magnetic responsiveness, capable of carrying out complex tasks.

    • Sheng-Chen Huang
    • , Ya-Jiao Zhu
    •  & Zhi-Gang Qian

  • Article
    | Open Access

    When imbibed in an anisotropic silica aerogel, superfluid 3He undergoes a temperature-driven “orbital flop" transition, where the orbital quantization axis rotates by 90 degrees. Here, by simulating planar and nematic aerogel, M. D. Nguyen et al. show that the orbital flop transition is driven by the distinct large- and small-scale structures of the aerogel.

    • M. D. Nguyen
    • , Joshua Simon
    •  & W. P. Halperin

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Transparent absorbers for electromagnetic interference shielding are sought in the terahertz frequency range. The authors demonstrate organohydrogel-elastomer composites based on permittivity gradients, with strong ionic conduction loss, showing high absorption in the 0.5–4.5 THz band.

    • Wenke Xie
    • , Qian Tang
    •  & Qiye Wen

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Aerogels attract considerable attention in various emerging fields in recent decades, but low density and weak mechanical performance make their configuration-editing capability challenging. Here the authors establish an efficient twice-coagulated strategy to fabricate configuration-editable tough aerogels enabled by transformable gel precursors.

    • Lishan Li
    • , Guandu Yang
    •  & Xuetong Zhang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    It is vital to unveil the effects of extracellular matrix cues on endothelial cell (EC) outgrowth for desirably governing vasculature formation, but the role of matrix plasticity on EC outgrowth is elusive. Here, the authors develop hydrogels with tunable mechanical plasticity independent of stiffness, and elucidate the plasticity-mediated responses of ECs during vasculogenesis and angiogenesis.

    • Zhao Wei
    • , Meng Lei
    •  & Feng Xu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Responsive hydrogels containing multichannel information have potential in miniature devices, but their fabrication can be challenging. Here, the authors report the creation of hydrogel materials with each pixel containing three-channel information for printing of distinct images in one location.

    • Mingchao Zhang
    • , Yohan Lee
    •  & Metin Sitti

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Achieving successful in vivo cartilage regeneration remains challenging. Here they present a cell-free, multiple hydrogen-bond crosslinked hydrogel loaded with tannic acid and Kartogenin with ultra-durable mechanical properties and stage-dependent drug release behavior to promote cartilage regeneration.

    • Yuxuan Yang
    • , Xiaodan Zhao
    •  & Xuesi Chen

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Underwater soft robots made of stimuli-responsive shape-changing hydrogels generally present low actuation speed which is limited by the water diffusion between hydrogels and their surrounding environment. Here, the authors develop dynamic hydrogel robots with a fast and switchable actuation based on a thermally driven chain conformation change after mechanical programming.

    • Chujun Ni
    • , Di Chen
    •  & Qian Zhao

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Rational design has endowed self-assembling peptides with structural similarities to natural materials, but recreating the dynamic functional properties inherent to natural systems remains challenging. Here the authors report the discovery of a short peptide based on the tryptophan zipper motif, that shows multiscale hierarchical ordering into hydrogels that display emergent dynamic properties.

    • Ashley K. Nguyen
    • , Thomas G. Molley
    •  & Kristopher A. Kilian

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The underwater adhesives developed so far usually show water adsorption and lack of spontaneity as major drawbacks. Herein, the authors develop a tough, flexible and autonomous underwater adhesive based on an amphiphilic polymeric matrix swollen by hydrophobic ionic liquid.

    • Le Yao
    • , Chengjiang Lin
    •  & Qi Zhang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Aqueous zinc metal batteries utilized in wearable and implanted devices require good biosecurity, long lifespan, and high flexibility. Here, the authors proposed a biocompatible hyaluronic acid-based gel electrolyte to improve the reversibility of zinc anodes and prolong the cycle life of batteries.

    • Guanjie Li
    • , Zihan Zhao
    •  & Zaiping Guo

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Soft robots made of hydrogels with anisotropic and shape-change properties offer interesting design opportunities. Here, the authors report zwitterionic hydrogels and anisotropic cellulose nanocrystals composites in which the shear-induced alignment of cellulose nanocrystals allows for the development of shape-change programmable miniature robots.

    • Rasool Nasseri
    • , Negin Bouzari
    •  & Hamed Shahsavan

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Liquid–liquid phase separation is known in cell biology as an underlying mechanism of intracellular organization. The authors study a complex interplay between phase separation, network mechanics, and condensate capillarity, providing explanation for the phenomena in complex environments like the cellular interior.

    • Jason X. Liu
    • , Mikko P. Haataja
    •  & Rodney D. Priestley

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Due to the complexity of living systems, it is challenging to identify the factors influencing the formation of native heterogeneous structures. Here, the authors employ flexible polymer networks with embedded stiff cellulose nanocrystals to simulate heterogeneous core-sheath structures interrelated with the divergence of Deborah number.

    • Dan Xu
    • , Yang Yang
    •  & Kai Zhang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Fibrous networks constructed from high aspect ratio protein building blocks are ubiquitous in nature, but the functional advantage of such building blocks over globular proteins is not understood. Here, using shear rheology and small-angle neutron scattering, the authors characterise the mechanical and structural properties of photochemically crosslinked protein L and fibrin networks and show that aspect ratio is a crucial property that defines network architecture and mechanics.

    • Matt D. G. Hughes
    • , Sophie Cussons
    •  & Lorna Dougan

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