Nature Communications, Published online: 22 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-76133-y Handedness in synthetic systems can be challenging to control. Here, the authors report the development of homogeneous hydrogels with programmable, handed shape morphing, including helices and twists, as a result of photoexpansion.
Researchers led by Jiawei Yang, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, have designed a modular system that could potentially improve hydrogel implants in the body by customizing the materials for stiffness and functionality. The system, described in the journal Science Advances, uses coatings to treat the surface [̷…
Nature Communications, Published online: 18 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-73355-y It is useful to be able to determine the changes a material has undergone, but this is challenging in synthetic systems. Here, the authors report the development of a hydrogel materials conditioned by swelling, allowing determination of exposure to heat and salt by nucleation changes.
Nature Communications, Published online: 28 April 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-72468-8 Existing Janus hydrogels struggle to combine high-strength, asymmetric adhesion, and simple fabrication. Here, the authors develop a high-strength Janus hydrogel with bilateral asymmetric adhesion for wet tissue hemostasis and intestinal/intrauterine anti-adhesion.
Hydrogels are chemically or physically cross-linked three-dimensional networks that are water insoluble but can absorb a large amount of water or biological fluids and maintain their semisolid morphology. Besides their various applications in superabsorbents, cosmetics and food, contact lenses, actuators and sensors in the materials science domain, hydrogels have become more and more attractive i…
