Light-gated redox switching and actuation in polymer hydrogels.

ABSTRACT: Stimuli-responsive materials based on molecular switches, introducing life-like properties such as adaptive behavior in an aqueous environment, are fascinating, providing numerous opportunities to control functions and enable future applications like actuators and soft robotics. Light-responsive molecular systems are receiving particular attention, due to the non-invasive stimulus and distinctive spatio-temporal control possible with photoswitches. In contrast, redox-switching is quantitative, non-volatile and associated with significant changes in material properties, but lacks spatio-temporal precision. Herein we address this challenge in the first proof-of-principle demonstration of light-gated redox switching of polymer hydrogel materials, thereby combining the advantages of both strat

SUBMITTER: Weber RR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12521516 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature