Gels and hydrogels articles from across Nature Portfolio

A sweet gel from the endocarp of cocoa pods and the concentrated juice of the cocoa fruit pulp can replace sugar in a chocolate recipe, reducing the environmental impact associated with its production and improving the nutritional value of chocolate.

Droplet interface bilayers can be used as a model of artificial membranes for synthetic biology and drug delivery applications, however, their accessibility using non-invasive techniques remains challenging. Here, the authors develop an in-situ bilayer manipulation of encapsulated droplet interface bilayers in hydrogel capsules, generated by high-order emulsification in monolithic 3D-printed microfluidic devices.

Hydrogel fibres have potential in a range of applications such as flexible electronics, but achieving the desired mechanical properties can be challenging. Here, the authors report spider silk-inspired hydrogel fibres with tuneable mechanical properties suitable for flexible electronics.

Certain devices require rapid adhesion and detachment, but achieving both can be challenging. Here, the authors report the development of a supramolecular hydrogel with reversible tough adhesion and triggered photodetachment.

Hydrogels are promising in various fields, but improving their mechanical properties is critical for certain applications. This Review comprehensively explores design principles to construct hydrogels with superior mechanical strength, toughness and fatigue resistance, and discusses self-growing and self-reinforced hydrogels.

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.

An article in Science presents the design of a hydrogel with n-type semiconducting properties.

A sweet gel from the endocarp of cocoa pods and the concentrated juice of the cocoa fruit pulp can replace sugar in a chocolate recipe, reducing the environmental impact associated with its production and improving the nutritional value of chocolate.

Boroxines, resulting from the reversible dehydration of boronic acids, have been incorporated as structural units into functional materials and molecular assemblies, but their applicability is restricted to non-aqueous environments owing to their inherent water instability. Now, a boroxine structure spontaneously formed from the 2-hydroxyphenylboronic acid dimer enables water-compatible dynamic B–O covalent bonds, expanding their future applicability.

The production of conventional meat contributes to climate change and uses up around 70% of available arable land. Cultured meat is emerging as a potential solution, but presently can be only produced at the pilot scale. Biofabrication technologies developed for biomedical applications could be leveraged to introduce automation and standardization in the production of cultured meat, accelerating its path to market.

An article in Advanced Healthcare Materials reports a 4D-printed hydrogel dressing that shrinks at body temperature and promotes healing in chronic diabetic wounds.

Incorporating additives that contain hydrogen-bonding nanochannels creates nanoconfined polymer gels that are highly stretchable, elastic and insensitive to notch propagation.