Researchers from Aalto University and the University of Bayreuth have developed a self-healing hydrogel that mimics the flexibility and self-healing properties of human skin. This breakthrough could lead to advancements in wound healing, soft robotics, and artificial skin. Previously, researchers had not been able to combine the stiffness and flexibility of skin with its self-healing abilities. The new hydrogel is created by adding “large and ultra-thin specific clay nanosheets” to a mixture of polymers, which are then entangled under UV light to form an elastic solid. This gel is able to self-heal within 4-24 hours after being cut, with 80-100% of the damage repaired. The researchers hope to apply this material to other biomedical technologies, such as soft robotics and artificial skin. The potential applications are vast, including the creation of robots with self-healing skins and synthetic tissues that can repair themselves. This discovery could also lead to new approaches to wound healing and tissue engineering. Overall, the creation of this self-healing hydrogel is a major breakthrough in material science, with potential far-reaching implications for medicine and technology.
A revolutionary self-healing gel mimicking human skin could be used in soft robotics.
