Dough‐Kneading‐Inspired Universal Mixing Strategy for Mass Production of Multi‐Stimuli‐Responsive Hydrogels

Abstract Inspired by dough kneading, a straightforward and versatile mixing strategy is proposed for the safe, rapid, and large‐scale production of smart hydrogels. This approach is achieved by directly blending gel powders with an appropriate amount of swelling agent. The applied gel powders possess strong adhesion, enabling them to function as both glue for bonding different hydrogels and as healing agents for repairing damaged hydrogels, while their recyclability and reusability help to lower production costs and minimize environmental impact. The resulting hydrogel, featuring a unique internal heterogeneous porous structure, exhibits fast response speed, excellent recoverability, and high fatigue resistance. Mechanical and swelling tests reveal that this hydrogel is robust, capable of resisting large elongations (>400%) without breaking, enduring multiple compressions (53%, 10 cycles) without crushing, and maintaining integrity during prolonged immersion (≈1032 h). Through precise control of the composition and spatial distribution of gel powders and replaceable swelling agents, this strategy enables customizable hydrogel architectures with selective shape‐morphing functionality under programmed stimuli. Overall, this scalable mixing paradigm establishes an eco‐conscious manufacturing platform for high‐throughput synthesis of stimuli‐responsive materials, positioning it as a key enabler for next‐generation soft devices.

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Publication Details

Journal
Advanced Functional Materials
Published
2025-05-05
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202506602
Citations
6
Primary Topic
Hydrogels: synthesis, properties, applications
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
3.55

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article

Dough‐Kneading‐Inspired Universal Mixing Strategy for Mass Production of Multi‐Stimuli‐Responsive Hydrogels

Wen‐Yao Huang, Zhi‐Jun Meng, Chen Yao, Jie Xia et al.
6 citations
Advanced Functional Materials
Hydrogels: synthesis, properties, applications
3.55
article

Dough‐Kneading‐Inspired Universal Mixing Strategy for Mass Production of Multi‐Stimuli‐Responsive Hydrogels

Wen‐Yao Huang, Zhi‐Jun Meng, Chen Yao, Jie Xia, Xiao‐Heng He, Ye Zhang, Zhiyuan Wang, Jingjing Xiao, Yang‐Yang Ou
article en
6 citations

Abstract

Abstract Inspired by dough kneading, a straightforward and versatile mixing strategy is proposed for the safe, rapid, and large‐scale production of smart hydrogels. This approach is achieved by directly blending gel powders with an appropriate amount of swelling agent. The applied gel powders possess strong adhesion, enabling them to function as both glue for bonding different hydrogels and as healing agents for repairing damaged hydrogels, while their recyclability and reusability help to lower production costs and minimize environmental impact. The resulting hydrogel, featuring a unique internal heterogeneous porous structure, exhibits fast response speed, excellent recoverability, and high fatigue resistance. Mechanical and swelling tests reveal that this hydrogel is robust, capable of resisting large elongations (>400%) without breaking, enduring multiple compressions (53%, 10 cycles) without crushing, and maintaining integrity during prolonged immersion (≈1032 h). Through precise control of the composition and spatial distribution of gel powders and replaceable swelling agents, this strategy enables customizable hydrogel architectures with selective shape‐morphing functionality under programmed stimuli. Overall, this scalable mixing paradigm establishes an eco‐conscious manufacturing platform for high‐throughput synthesis of stimuli‐responsive materials, positioning it as a key enabler for next‐generation soft devices.

Advanced Functional MaterialsVol. 35(42)
North Sichuan Medical University (CN), Xi'an University of Technology (CN), University of South China (CN)
National Natural Science Foundation of China, Natural Science Foundation of Sichuan Province
Openalex Percentile: Top 7%
Hydrogels: synthesis, properties, applications
3.55
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