In this feature article, we critically review the physical properties of porous hydrogels and
their production methods. Our main focus is nondense hydrogels that have physical pores …

Soft matter exhibits a multitude of intrinsic physico-chemical attributes. Their mechanical
properties are crucial characteristics to define their performance. In this context, the rigidity of …

Polymer networks are complex systems consisting of molecular components. Whereas the
properties of the individual components are typically well understood by most chemists …

The extracellular matrix (ECM) and its mechanical properties play an important role in
regulating the cellular responses that occur during tissue regeneration, wound healing, and …

Hydrogels have been developed since the 1960s for applications in personal care,
medicine, and engineering. Evidence has accumulated that hydrogels under prolonged …

The structure–property paradox of biological tissues, in which water-rich porous structures
efficiently transfer mass while remaining highly mechanically stiff, remains unsolved …

CO2-responsive materials undergo a change in chemical or physical properties in response
to the introduction or removal of CO2. The use of CO2 as a stimulus is advantageous as it is …

The cytoplasm is the largest part of the cell by volume and hence its rheology sets the rate at
which cellular shape changes can occur. Recent experimental evidence suggests that …

A real polymer network is never perfect, but the quantification of network imperfection has
been elusive. Here we quantify the network imperfection of a polyacrylamide hydrogel …

Adjusting the acrylamide monomer and cross-linker content in polyacrylamide gels controls
the hydrogel stiffness, yet the reported elastic modulus for the same formulations varies …