A hydrogel structure (10) includes: a continuous phase (11) of a first hydrogel; and a dispersion phase (12) of a second hydrogel, the dispersion phase being dispersed in the continuous phase (11). A ratio of a local minimum value of a load after break to a breaking load (a local minimum value of a load after break/a breaking load) of the hydrogel structure (10) is 0.1 or more.

A method of forming a hybrid physically and chemically cross-linked double-network hydrogel with highly recoverable and mechanical properties in a single-pot synthesis is provided. The method comprises the steps of combining the hydrogel precursor reactants into a single pot. The hydrogel precursor reactants include water; a polysaccharide; a methacrylate monomer; an ultraviolet initiator; and a chemical crosslinker. Next the hydrogel precursor reactants are heated to a temperature higher than the melting point of the polysaccharide and this temperature is retained until the polysaccharide is in a sol state. Then the single-pot is cooled to a temperature lower than the gelation point of the polysaccharide and this temperature is retained to form a first network. Thereafter, photo-initiated polymerization of the methacrylate monomer occurs via the ultraviolet initiator to form the second network.

The invention relates to a method for producing an aqueous foam comprising the following steps: (a) preparing a solution comprising at least one surfactant and at least one protic polar solvent, (b) bringing the solution into contact with a pressurised gas, whereby a two-phase mixture is obtained, and (c) injecting the two-phase mixture, whereby, after expansion or dispersion of the gas, the aqueous foam is obtained. According to the invention, the solution further comprises at least one gelling compound chosen from a non-nitrogenous polysaccharide and gelatin. The invention also relates to the aqueous foam obtained by such a method and to the uses of same, in particular in the fields of decontamination, the purification of effluents, or the defusing or containment of explosive devices or suspected explosive devices.

A method for the manufacture of agar or agarose beads, the method comprising the steps of: i) providing a water phase comprising an aqueous solution of agar or agarose at a temperature above the gelling temperature of said aqueous solution; ii) providing an oil phase comprising a natural or vegetable oil at a temperature above the gelling temperature of the aqueous solution provided in step i); iii) combining the water phase provided in step i) with the oil phase provided in step ii) in a reactor, and adding an emulsifier; iv) emulsifying the mixture obtained in step iii), preferably by agitating the mixture, thereby creating an emulsion; v) performing a stepwise cooling comprising a first cooling step for cooling the emulsion obtained in step iv) to a temperature 0.1-30 degrees C. above the gelling temperature of the aqueous solution provided in step i), followed by a second cooling step for emptying the reactor from the emulsion and passing the emulsion through a heat exchanger, thus resulting in cooling of the emulsion to a temperature below the gelling temperature of the aqueous solution provided in step i); and vi) recovering of agar or agarose beads from said emulsion.

Provided herein are aerogels and foams including: single structural cells and/or groups of structural cells derived from a plant or fungal tissue, the single structural cells having a decellularized 3D structure lacking cellular materials and nucleic acids of plant or fungal tissue; the single structural cells and/or groups of structural cells being distributed within a carrier derived from a dehydrated, lyophilized, or freeze-dried hydrogel. Also provided herein are methods for preparing aerogels or foams, including steps of: providing a decellularized plant or fungal tissue; obtaining single structural cells and/or groups of structural cells from the decellularized plant or fungal tissue by performing mercerization; mixing or distributing the single structural cells and/or groups of structural cells in a hydrogel, to provide a mixture; and dehydrating, lyophilizing, or freeze-drying the mixture to provide the aerogel or foam. Related methods and uses are also provided.

Disclosed are an aerogel with a hierarchical pore structure formed using a pulsed laser technology, and a preparation method and use thereof. In the preparation method, a nano silicon-containing inorganic material as a freezing element, a biomass polymer as a cross-linking agent, and deionized water as a solvent are mixed and a resulting mixture is left to stand and gelatinized to obtain a hydrogel; the hydrogel is frozen to form ice crystals therein, and the ice crystals are removed by freeze-drying to obtain a micron-nano porous aerogel; the micron-nano porous aerogel is subjected to customized millimeter-scale punching using a pulsed laser to obtain an aerogel with a millimeter-micron-nano hierarchical pore structure.

Disclosed are an aerogel with a hierarchical pore structure formed using a pulsed laser technology, and a preparation method and use thereof. In the preparation method, a nano silicon-containing inorganic material as a freezing element, a biomass polymer as a cross-linking agent, and deionized water as a solvent are mixed and a resulting mixture is left to stand and gelatinized to obtain a hydrogel; the hydrogel is frozen to form ice crystals therein, and the ice crystals are removed by freeze-drying to obtain a micron-nano porous aerogel; the micron-nano porous aerogel is subjected to customized millimeter-scale punching using a pulsed laser to obtain an aerogel with a millimeter-micron-nano hierarchical pore structure.

Methods of forming cross-linked polysaccharides are disclosed in which one or more polysaccharides are dissolved in solution, gelled, modified to have a desired concentration, and subsequently irradiated. The irradiation of the gel crosslinks the polysaccharide(s) present. The disclosed techniques may be applied to various polysaccharides, including but not limited to agarose and/or hyaluronic acid.

Embodiments herein described provide devices for identifying and collecting rare cells or cells which occur at low frequency in the body of a subject, such as, antigen-specific cells or disease-specific cells. More specifically, the devices are useful for trapping immune cells and the devices contain a physiologically-compatible porous polymer scaffold, a plurality of antigens, and an immune cell-recruiting agent, wherein the plurality of antigens and the immune cell recruiting agent attract and trap the immune cell in the device. Also provided are pharmaceutical compositions, kits, and packages containing such devices. Additional embodiments relate to methods for making the devices, compositions, and kits/packages. Further embodiments relate to methods for using the devices, compositions, and/or kits in the diagnosis or therapy of diseases such as autoimmune diseases or cancers.

The invention provides a hydrogel network comprising a plurality of hydrogel objects, wherein each of said hydrogel objects comprises: a hydrogel body, and an outer layer of amphipathic molecules, on at least part of the surface of the hydrogel body, wherein each of said hydrogel objects contacts another of said hydrogel objects to form an interface between the contacting hydrogel objects. A process for producing the hydrogel networks is also provided. The invention also provides an electrochemical circuit and a hydrogel component for mechanical devices comprising a hydrogel network. Various uses of the hydrogel network are also described, including their use in synthetic biology and as components in electrochemical circuits and mechanical devices.