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HYDROGELS

Precise patterning driven by droplets

Nature Chemistry volume 12, pages 328–330 (2020)Cite this article

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Hydrogels that can respond to multiple external stimuli are typically prepared as a single or interpenetrated polymer network material. Now, water-in-oil droplet networks have been used to precisely pattern different stimuli-responsive materials into well-ordered, continuous hydrogel structures.

Hydrogels — which consist of crosslinked hydrophilic polymer chains that are highly swollen in water — can be found in everyday commercial products such as contact lenses and nicotine patches. Their syntheses typically rely on either chemical or physical crosslinking methods (through covalent or non-covalent bonding, respectively) to hold together individual polymer chains, yielding these dilute polymer networks that comprise mostly water (90–95%). Fabrication1 of hydrogel structures and materials is often carried out through in situ polymerizations in moulds, photolithography2, or extrusion methods; usually in the context of additive manufacturing (that is, 3D printing)3. Advances in the chemical design of hydrogels over the past half century have led to soft materials capable of responding to multiple external stimuli4 — such as changes in temperature or pH, or exposure to different wavelengths of light. Responsive soft materials are particularly attractive for applications in fields such as soft robotics, tissue culture, and the controlled release of biomolecules and drugs.

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Fig. 1: Construction of complex, multi-responsive two- and three-dimensional hydrogels through the precise patterning of droplet networks.

adapted with permission from ref. 5, Springer Nature Ltd.

Fig. 2: A dual thermally and magnetically responsive asymmetric hydrogel actuator.

adapted with permission from ref. 5, Springer Nature Ltd.

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  1. Department of Chemistry, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA

    Abigail O. Delawder & Jonathan C. Barnes

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  1. Abigail O. Delawder
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  2. Jonathan C. Barnes
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Correspondence to Jonathan C. Barnes.

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Delawder, A.O., Barnes, J.C. Precise patterning driven by droplets. Nat. Chem. 12, 328–330 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41557-020-0449-9

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