Gels are soft condensed matter systems consisting of a percolating, solid-like network dispersed within a continuous fluid phase, exhibiting a finite elastic modulus and yield stress despite being predominantly liquid by volume. The network can arise from physical associations (e.g., hydrogen bonding, electrostatic interactions, chain entanglements) or covalent crosslinks between polymer chains, colloidal particles, or other mesoscopic building blocks, producing a mechanically stable, non-flowing structure. Their rheological behavior is characterized by viscoelasticity, with solid-like response at low stresses and flow under higher stresses, and their properties depend sensitively on crosslink density, microstructure, and solvent quality.
Many people use hydrogels without knowing it. As superabsorbents in nappies, for example, hydrogels absorb a lot of liquid. In the process, the initially dry material becomes jelly-like, but it does not wet. Some people place ...
Nanomaterials
Apr 27, 2023
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108
A research group led by scientists from the RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science has developed a unique material, based on nanofillers embedded in a hydrogel, that can channel mechanical energy in one direction but not ...
Nanophysics
Apr 13, 2023
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203
In a new report now published in Science Advances, Mingze Sun and a research team in physics, mechanical engineering, electrical and electronic engineering in Hong Kong China reported the development of multifunctional tendon-mimetic ...
Writing in the Journal of Molecular Liquids, a team led by Professor Aravind Vijayaraghavan based in the National Graphene Institute (NGI) have produced three-dimensional particles made of graphene, of many interesting shapes, ...
Nanomaterials
Feb 10, 2023
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252
Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University and the Chinese University of Hong Kong have developed a strategy for creating ultrahigh-resolution, complex 3D nanostructures out of various materials.
Nanophysics
Dec 22, 2022
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214
Single-use plastics have saved many lives by improving sanitation in health care. However, the sheer quantity of plastic waste—which can take from tens to hundreds of years to decompose—is a global pollution scourge. But ...
Nanomaterials
Oct 25, 2022
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117
Every day in the United States, 17 people die waiting for an organ transplant, and every nine minutes, another person is added to the transplant waiting list, according to the Health Resources and Services Administration. ...
Bio & Medicine
Aug 25, 2022
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98
Aerogel materials serve a vital role as protective materials needed for many fields, including as electromagnetic interference shielding material for 5G technology, thermally insulating material in high-rise buildings and ...
Nanomaterials
Jul 19, 2022
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176
Extrusion-based 3D printing of bio solids, or "bioprinting," is a promising approach to generating patient-specific, tissue-engineered grafts. However, a major challenge in bioprinting is that most currently used materials ...
Bio & Medicine
Jun 29, 2022
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118
Nanomaterials scientists from Utrecht University have improved a nanogel in such a way that it can now transport individual molecules from one liquid to the other. "By enlarging the surface area between two liquids, we can ...
Nanomaterials
Apr 19, 2022
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