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Materials science

Like cartilage, but simpler

Nature volume 517, pages 25–26 (2015)Cite this article

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The properties of articular cartilage, which lines bones in joints, depend partly on repulsion between components of the material. A new synthetic gel that mimics this feature has rare, direction-dependent properties. See Letter p.68

The work of materials scientists usually focuses on attractive forces, which underpin the reinforcement of polymers by strong fibres or particles1, and the self-repairing abilities of rubbery materials through hydrogen bonding2. But on page 68 of this issue, Liu et al.3 report their use of repulsive forces in the design of a hydrogel — a water-swollen polymer network — that exhibits fascinating direction-dependent behaviour. The material might be useful in applications that require a reduction of vibrations.

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Figure 1: Direction-dependent behaviour of a hydrogel.

References

  1. Vudayagiri, S. et al. Smart Mater. Struct. 23, 105017 (2014).

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  2. Cordier, P., Tournilhac, P., Soulié-Ziakovic, C. & Leibler, L. Nature 451, 977–980 (2008).

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  3. Liu, M. et al. Nature 517, 68–72 (2015).

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  1. Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Anne Ladegaard Skov is in the Danish Polymer Centre, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby 2800, Denmark.,

    Anne Ladegaard Skov

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  1. Anne Ladegaard Skov
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Correspondence to Anne Ladegaard Skov.

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Ladegaard Skov, A. Like cartilage, but simpler. Nature 517, 25–26 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/517025a

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