Researchers at McGill University, in collaboration with Polytechnique Montréal, pioneered a new way to create hydrogels using ultrasound, eliminating the need for toxic chemical initiators.
Researchers at McGill University, in collaboration with Polytechnique Montréal, pioneered a new way to create hydrogels using ultrasound, eliminating the need for toxic chemical initiators. This breakthrough offers a faster, cleaner and more sustainable approach to hydrogel fabrication, and produces hydrogels that are stronger, more flexible and highly resistant to freezing and dehydration. The new method also promises to facilitate advances in tissue engineering, bioadhesives and 3D bioprinting.
Hydrogels are gels composed of polymers that can absorb and retain large amounts of water. They are widely used in wound dressings, drug delivery, tissue engineering, soft robotics, soft contact lenses and more.
Traditional hydrogel manufacturing relies on chemical initiators, some of which can be harmful, particularly in medical applications. Initiators are the chemicals used to trigger chemical chain reactions. The McGill research team, led by Mechanical Engineering Professor Jianyu Li, has developed an alternative method using ultrasound. When applied to a liquid precursor, sound waves create microscopic bubbles that collapse with immense energy, triggering gel formation within minutes.
Read More: University of McGill
