Soft matter and soft robotics
The latest chemistry news and research on soft matter, including liquid crystals, gels, emulsions and foams and soft robotics, from the Royal Society of Chemistry's magazine, Chemistry World
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ResearchHow ‘magic mud’ gives baseball pitchers a better grip
Unique mud formula coats and roughens baseballs, boosting control and grip for pitchers
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ResearchDrugs and vaccines could be freed from cold chains by hydrogel
Stiff gel prevents proteins from aggregating, preserving their therapeutic power
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ResearchGlassy gel superpolymer is sticky and can self-heal but is also hard yet stretchy
New class of polymer owes its properties to ionic liquid solvent
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ResearchElectronic cooling device is part fridge, part muscle
Soft polymer material flexes to move heat between surfaces
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ResearchProgrammable liquid hints at widespread applications
A ‘metafluid’ formed from collapsible elastic shells suspended in oil exhibits very different properties at different pressures
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ResearchStatic on steroids lets meat and fruit stick to metal at flick of switch
Electroadhesion could find biomedical and robotic applications
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ResearchColour-changing liquids could flag cold chain breaches for medicines
Device offers simple and reliable monitoring with no electronic waste
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ResearchStudy untangles friction and surface chemistry in chemically damaged hair
Researchers develop system that can be used to screen the tribological performance of hair care formulations
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BusinessMaking oil and water mix by encapsulation
Italian start-up Sphera Encapsulation can protect lipophilic food ingredients in aqueous environments
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ResearchDeveloping custom apparatus to determine battery electrolyte sweet spots
Susan Perkin discusses the unique technique she uses to understand liquids and how they interact with surfaces
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BusinessTransforming sawdust with ultrasound
Bio-Sep can break down biomass and extract valuable molecules without damaging them
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ResearchLoofah-structured hydrogel could help meet global clean water demands
Hydrogel water purification technology goes from a curiosity to a contender through a change in its structure
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ResearchFlexible batteries kept stable with stretchy metallic films
Liquid metals that block out air and water could improve the lifetime of stretchable electronics
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ResearchFluidic chemical systems can mimic the way the brain stores memories
Imitating the way that neurons communicate could lead to low-power neuromorphic computing
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BusinessSilky smooth tissue regeneration
Serigen mediproducts is harnessing one of India’s biggest industries to help heal wounds and rebuild flesh and bone
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ResearchActive liquid climbs walls
A two-phase liquid containing molecular motors could create a new class of soft matter
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ResearchUnique phenomenon discovered as gel shifts to a liquid, then back to a gel and back again
Discovery could offer insight into unusual natural events
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ResearchFlaws fixed in venerable 84-year-old method of measuring porosity
Simple software corrects calculations of surface area that were out by up to a factor of five
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Feature3D printing adds another dimension
Nina Notman learns how 4D printing is opening the door to unique smart materials whose applications may only be limited by our imaginations
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ResearchLiquid crystals under pressure create squid-like camouflage
Pneumatic membranes trigger full-spectrum colour shifting on demand