ArticleNature communications2021
Differential diffusion driven far-from-equilibrium shape-shifting of hydrogels.
Article in Nature communications, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers.
What it found
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The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed.
- An osteogenesis mimicking biomineralized bone adhesive for rapid skeletal regeneration.Bioengineering & translational medicine · 2026Article
- Elasticity-gated thermal plasticity via superheating-mediated nucleation and growth in polymer networks.Nature communications · 2026Article
- Effects of temperature fluctuations on quality deterioration and flavor evolution of pre-packaged tofu during cold-chain logistics.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Article
- Theoretical Model of the Island Effect in Flexible Electronics under Equal Biaxial Stretching.Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany) · 2025Article
- Multi-mode geometrically gated encryption with 4D morphing hydrogel.Nature communications · 2025Article
- Bioinspired hydrophobic pseudo-hydrogel for programmable shape-morphing.Nature communications · 2025Article
- Non-monotonic Information and Shape Evolution of Polymers Enabled by Spatially Programmed Crystallization and Melting.Chem & bio engineering · 2024Article
- Self-regulated reversal deformation and locomotion of structurally homogenous hydrogels subjected to constant light illumination.Nature communications · 2024Article
- High speed underwater hydrogel robots with programmable motions powered by light.Nature communications · 2023Article
- Cold-programmed shape-morphing structures based on grayscale digital light processing 4D printing.Nature communications · 2023Article
- Diffusion-Limited Processes in Hydrogels with Chosen Applications from Drug Delivery to Electronic Components.Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Review
- Water as the often neglected medium at the interface between materials and biology.Nature communications · 2022Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
12 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Far-from-equilibrium (FFE) conditions give rise to many unusual phenomena in nature. In contrast, synthetic shape-shifting materials typically rely on monotonic evolution between equilibrium states, limiting inherently the richness of the shape-shifting behaviors. Here we report an unanticipated shape-shifting behavior for a hydrogel that can be programmed to operate FFE-like behavior. During its temperature triggered shape-shifting event, the programmed stress induces uneven water diffusion, which pushes the hydrogel off the equilibrium based natural pathway. The resulting geometric change enhances the diffusion contrast in return, creating a self-amplifying sequence that drives the system into an FFE condition. Consequently, the hydrogel exhibits counterintuitive two opposite shape-shifting events under one single stimulation, at a speed accelerated by more than one order magnitude. Our discovery points to a future direction in creating FFE conditions to access otherwise unattainable shape-shifting behaviors, with potential implications for many engineering applications including soft robotics and medical devices.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.