Hans-Jürgen Butt

Mar 8, 2024 | nature.com | Kaloian Koynov |Hans-Jürgen Butt

AbstractStimuli-responsive hydrogels with programmable shape changes are promising materials for soft robots, four-dimensional printing, biomedical devices and artificial intelligence systems. However, these applications require the fabrication of hydrogels with complex, heterogeneous and reconfigurable structures and customizable functions. Here we report the fabrication of hydrogel assemblies with these features by reversibly gluing hydrogel units using a photocontrolled metallopolymer adhesive.