Mucus-inspired hydrogels for extreme acidic conditions
Under highly acidic conditions (pH ≈ 2) due to acid-induced network degradation, conventional hydrogels exhibit limited adhesion and structural stability.
The researchers developed a ultrastable mucus-inspired hydrogel (UMIH) that achieves strong adhesion and stability under acidic conditions, enabling effective tissue repair in esophageal injury models.
The researchers show that UMIH achieves remarkable wet adhesion strength (64.7 kPa at pH 2), surpassing aluminum phosphate gels by 15-fold, and maintains structural integrity for over 7 days.
This work highlights a robust biomaterial platform for biomedical applications in harsh physiological environments.
https://www.cell.com/cell-reports-physical-science/fulltext/S2666-3864(25)00371-6
