Hydrogels are among the most widely studied biomaterials in modern drug delivery research. Their high hydrophilicity, ...

Hydrogels are soft, water-rich polymeric materials that can swell or shrink in response to environmental stimuli. This ability to change shape makes them valuable in miniaturized devices for flexible ...

However, most current hydrogel pores use circular designs, which limit control over shape change and lead to unpredictable, slow actuation. They often close unevenly and recover poorly, reducing their ...

Bioengineers have developed a first-of-its-kind hydrogel for second-degree burns that can be dissolved quickly and easily for wound dressing changes using a solution that breaks apart the ...

A gelatinous substance that would otherwise be waste from a nut often used to make herbal tea can be made into a hydrogel with all different biomedical uses, University of Chicago researchers recently ...

Advances in materials science are transforming medicine, engineering, and environmental technology. Among the most promising innovations are hydrogels—highly absorbent polymer networks with ...

Hydrogels are made of elastic networks of polymer chains that are permeated with water. They are soft, elastic, and biocompatible. As a result, the squishy materials are already widely used in contact ...

The proposed strategy utilizes facet-and-hinge architectures to guide the swelling of facets in polygonal pores along predefined directs, enabling precise control over pore closure and restoration.