Solar-driven interfacial desalination(SID)offers a sustainable route for freshwater production,yet its long-term performance is compromised by salt crystallization and microbial fouling under complex marine conditions...Solar-driven interfacial desalination(SID)offers a sustainable route for freshwater production,yet its long-term performance is compromised by salt crystallization and microbial fouling under complex marine conditions.Zwitterionic polymers offer promising nonfouling capabilities,but current zwitterionic hydrogel-based solar evaporators(HSEs)suffer from inadequate hydration and salt vulnerability.Inspired by the natural marine environmental adaptive characteristics of saltwater fish,we report a superhydrated zwitterionic poly(trimethylamine N-oxide,PTMAO)/polyacrylamide(PAAm)/polypyrrole(PPy)hydrogel(PTAP)with dedicated water channels for efficient,durable,and nonfouling SID.The directly linked N⁺and O⁻groups in PTMAO establish a robust hydration shell that facilitates rapid water transport while resisting salt and microbial adhesion.Integrated PAAm and PPy networks enhance mechanical strength and photothermal conversion.PTAP achieves a high evaporation rate of 2.35 kg m^(−2)h^(−1)under 1 kW m^(–2)in 10 wt%NaCl solution,maintaining stable operation over 100 h without salt accumulation.Furthermore,PTAP effectively resists various foulants including proteins,bacterial,and algal adhesion.Molecular dynamics simulations reveal that the exceptional hydration capacity supports its nonfouling properties.This work advances the development of nonfouling HSEs for sustainable solar desalination in real-world marine environments.展开更多
Orthodontic appliances are essential for dentofacial deformity corrections.However,orthodontic appliances inadvertently increase the risk of bacterial colonization and dental calculus formation,which may lead to denta...Orthodontic appliances are essential for dentofacial deformity corrections.However,orthodontic appliances inadvertently increase the risk of bacterial colonization and dental calculus formation,which may lead to dental caries and gingivitis.Herein,this study developed a pH-responsive antifouling coating by integrating a zwitterionic hydrogel(ZH)with pH-responsive microcapsules(PRMs)encapsulating bactericide,displaying excellent synergies of anti-bacteria and anti-calculus for orthodontic appliances.The excellent antifouling properties can be attributed to two following points:ZH provides anti-adhesion properties via electrostatically induced hydration layers,while the PRMs can kill bacteria by on-demand bactericide release under acidic conditions.Results demonstrated that ZH+PRMs coating significantly reduced bacterial adhesion and inhibited calculus formation while maintaining excellent biocompatibility.By optimizing PRMs concentrations(0–15 wt%),compared with ZH,the antibacterial efficiency of ZH+PRMs(optimal concentration 10 wt%)increased from 49.8%±7.3%to 95.2%±1.1%for E.coli and from 85.7%±3.5%to 91.3%±1.4%for S.mutans.Compared with pristine steel(SS),ZH+PRMs coating showed ca.97.0%reduction for calcium carbonate and ca.87.3%reduction for calcium phosphate.In an in vitro model,compared with SS,our coating extended the crystal biofilm inhibition effect from one day to five days.Therefore,this study can provide promising strategies for reducing the risk of dental caries and gingivitis during orthodontic treatment.展开更多
X.Li,J.Gao,L.Gao,et al.,“Self-Aggregation-Induced Polymerization for Constructing Multifunctional Dynamic Zwitterionic Hydrogels,”Aggregate 6(2025):e70227.There was a graphical error in the chemical structures prese...X.Li,J.Gao,L.Gao,et al.,“Self-Aggregation-Induced Polymerization for Constructing Multifunctional Dynamic Zwitterionic Hydrogels,”Aggregate 6(2025):e70227.There was a graphical error in the chemical structures presented in Figure 1b and the Graphical Abstract.Figure 1b and the Graphical Abstract have been corrected to reflect the accurate chemical structure.展开更多
Maxillofacial wounds are often deep,irregularly shaped,and prone to scarring,which can cause significant psychological distress.Developing advanced wound dressings to address these issues is therefore very important.T...Maxillofacial wounds are often deep,irregularly shaped,and prone to scarring,which can cause significant psychological distress.Developing advanced wound dressings to address these issues is therefore very important.This study created a novel two-component zwitterionic hydrogel(PNPs@COL@Gel)by adding cationic polymer nanoparticles(PNPs)and type III collagen(COL),which demonstrates excellent mechanical strength and injectability,allowing it to conform smoothly to irregular maxillofacial wound shapes.In vitro tests showed that the PNPs had synergistic photothermal and photodynamic antimicrobial effects under near-infrared-II(NIR-II)laser irradiation,with killing rates of 96.9%and 97.5%against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MRSA)and Escherichia coli,respectively.The hydrogel also effectively breaks down biofilms and prevents their formation,while COL supports infected wound healing and helps prevent scarring.In vivo studies further demonstrated the therapeutic potential of this zwitterionic hydrogel.Mice with infected maxillofacial wounds healed faster,with the hydrogel penetrating deeply to treat subcutaneous pustular infections.Additionally,the hydrogel modulated the immune environment of wound tissues,encouraged epithelial cell growth,improved blood vessel formation,and greatly reduced scarring.These results offer a promising new approach for achieving scarless healing in maxillofacial wounds.展开更多
Zwitterionic hydrogels have attracted considerable attention as advanced biomaterials.However,the fabrication of traditional zwitterionic hydrogels typically relies on harsh polymerization conditions,and their backbon...Zwitterionic hydrogels have attracted considerable attention as advanced biomaterials.However,the fabrication of traditional zwitterionic hydrogels typically relies on harsh polymerization conditions,and their backbone structures are non-biodegradable.In this study,we develop a self-aggregation-induced polymerization(SAIP)mechanism that enables the spontaneous formation of multifunctional zwitterionic hydrogels under mild aqueous conditions,utilizing a rationally designed lipoic acid-carboxybetaine monomer with lipoic acid-modified hyaluronic acid(LAHA)crosslinker.This SAIP mechanism is driven by the synergistic interaction between the strongly hydrophilic zwitterionic moieties and hydrophobic 1,2-dithiolanes,promoting monomer selfaggregation into high-concentration reactive microenvironments,thus facilitating efficient ring-opening polymerization without external catalysts or stimuli.The incorporation of LAHA as a crosslinker results in the formation of a stable zwitterionic hydrogel,distinguished by its mild preparation conditions,rapid spontaneous gelation(116 s),and controlled depolymerization through dynamic disulfide bonds.Furthermore,the resulting hydrogel demonstrates high water content(>76%),robust mechanical properties(compressive stress up to 3.86 MPa),exceptional antioxidant activity(>90%DPPH scavenging),high biocompatibility,and superior living cell encapsulation and protection.This study provides a fundamental understanding of hydrogel formation through the SAIP mechanism and advances the development of zwitterionic hydrogels,making the resulting hydrogel an attractive candidate for biomedical applications.展开更多
Zwitterionic polymers are polymers containing a pair of oppositely charged groups in their repeating units,which facilitate the formation of a hydration layer on the surface through ionic solvation.This strong hydrati...Zwitterionic polymers are polymers containing a pair of oppositely charged groups in their repeating units,which facilitate the formation of a hydration layer on the surface through ionic solvation.This strong hydration results in the remarkable properties of zwitterionic polymer hydrogels,including antifouling,lubricating,and anti-freezing capabilities.Owing to these properties,zwitterionic polymer hydrogels have attracted notable attention in biomedical and engineering fields.However,the superhydrophilicity of zwitterionic polymer hydrogels renders them brittle and weak,considerably limiting their use in load-bearing applications.Thus,there is an urgent need to improve the mechanical properties of zwitterionic hydrogels.In this work,we systematically review mechanical enhancement strategies for zwitterionic polymer hydrogels.We cover strate-gies applicable to hybrid and pure high-strength zwitterionic polymer hydrogels.Additionally,we discuss the advantages and limitations of various strength enhancement strategies.展开更多
Current clinical vitreous substitutes employed in vitrectomy and retinal surgery are frequently associated with complications such as emulsification,vitreous opacities,and inflammation,highlighting the urgent demand f...Current clinical vitreous substitutes employed in vitrectomy and retinal surgery are frequently associated with complications such as emulsification,vitreous opacities,and inflammation,highlighting the urgent demand for safer biomaterial alternatives.Herein,we report a purely zwitterionic polymer hydrogel for vitreous replacement,which is constructed entirely from a zwitterionic monomer(carboxybetaine ureido acrylate)without any covalent cross-linkers or non-zwitterionic segments,and self-crosslinked via multivalent hydrogen bonding and dipole-dipole interactions.The supramolecular network of poly(carboxybetaine ureido acrylate)(PCBUIA)hydrogels exhibits pronounced shear-thinning properties for smooth injection and rapid self-healing to restore mechanical integrity once the shear force is removed.The PCBUIA hydrogels also match native vitreous in density(1.016-1.021 g/cm^(3)),refractive index(1.3359-1.3389)and transmittance(>90%),while exhibiting comparable viscoelastic behavior.Moreover,the zwitterionic hydration layer confers PCBUIA hydrogels with ultralow protein adsorption and markedly suppresses cell attachment;notably,it cannot provoke any foreign-body reaction or fibrotic capsule formation,demonstrating an outstanding biocompatibility.After one month of implantation in rabbit eyes,the PCBUIA hydrogels maintained optical transparency,preserved native retinal morphology,and did not cause elevated intraocular pressure and inflammatory response.These findings demonstrate the potential of purely zwitterionic polymer hydrogels as vitreous substitutes.However,further long-term in vivo studies are required to evaluate their stability and functional performance.展开更多
Indicating hydrogels have shown the advantages of being fast, sensitive, and real-time in demonstrating the freshness of aquatic products due to their noticeable color change. In this work, an anti-freezing hydrogel e...Indicating hydrogels have shown the advantages of being fast, sensitive, and real-time in demonstrating the freshness of aquatic products due to their noticeable color change. In this work, an anti-freezing hydrogel embedded with pH-sensitive alizarin was developed as an original colorimetric indicator for monitoring the corruption of aquatic products at low temperatures. The anti-freezing hydrogel was prepared from 2-carboxyethyl acrylate, [2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl]-trimethylammonium chloride, and 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate monomers with triethylene glycol dimethacrylate as cross-linking agent. The hydrogel showed excellent anti-freezing capability, which was further incorporated with the pH-sensitive dye alizarin to gain the indicating capability. When applied in the indication of the freshness of salmon under low-temperature storage, it was found that the color changes of the indicator corresponded with the total volatile basic nitrogen contents of salmon, the correlation coefficient of which was 0.959 6. These results indicated the application potential of the hydrogels as freshness indicators during low-temperature storage or cold-chain transportation.展开更多
基金supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(22209036,U23A20119)Hebei Provincial Natural Science Foundation,Excellent Youth Project(E2023202069)+1 种基金National Key R&D Program of China(2024YFF0506000,2024YFB4609100)Fundamental Research Foundation from Hebei University of Technology(424132016,282021485).
文摘Solar-driven interfacial desalination(SID)offers a sustainable route for freshwater production,yet its long-term performance is compromised by salt crystallization and microbial fouling under complex marine conditions.Zwitterionic polymers offer promising nonfouling capabilities,but current zwitterionic hydrogel-based solar evaporators(HSEs)suffer from inadequate hydration and salt vulnerability.Inspired by the natural marine environmental adaptive characteristics of saltwater fish,we report a superhydrated zwitterionic poly(trimethylamine N-oxide,PTMAO)/polyacrylamide(PAAm)/polypyrrole(PPy)hydrogel(PTAP)with dedicated water channels for efficient,durable,and nonfouling SID.The directly linked N⁺and O⁻groups in PTMAO establish a robust hydration shell that facilitates rapid water transport while resisting salt and microbial adhesion.Integrated PAAm and PPy networks enhance mechanical strength and photothermal conversion.PTAP achieves a high evaporation rate of 2.35 kg m^(−2)h^(−1)under 1 kW m^(–2)in 10 wt%NaCl solution,maintaining stable operation over 100 h without salt accumulation.Furthermore,PTAP effectively resists various foulants including proteins,bacterial,and algal adhesion.Molecular dynamics simulations reveal that the exceptional hydration capacity supports its nonfouling properties.This work advances the development of nonfouling HSEs for sustainable solar desalination in real-world marine environments.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.51973003 and 22275203)the Beijing Natural Science Foundation(No.JQ23008)。
文摘Orthodontic appliances are essential for dentofacial deformity corrections.However,orthodontic appliances inadvertently increase the risk of bacterial colonization and dental calculus formation,which may lead to dental caries and gingivitis.Herein,this study developed a pH-responsive antifouling coating by integrating a zwitterionic hydrogel(ZH)with pH-responsive microcapsules(PRMs)encapsulating bactericide,displaying excellent synergies of anti-bacteria and anti-calculus for orthodontic appliances.The excellent antifouling properties can be attributed to two following points:ZH provides anti-adhesion properties via electrostatically induced hydration layers,while the PRMs can kill bacteria by on-demand bactericide release under acidic conditions.Results demonstrated that ZH+PRMs coating significantly reduced bacterial adhesion and inhibited calculus formation while maintaining excellent biocompatibility.By optimizing PRMs concentrations(0–15 wt%),compared with ZH,the antibacterial efficiency of ZH+PRMs(optimal concentration 10 wt%)increased from 49.8%±7.3%to 95.2%±1.1%for E.coli and from 85.7%±3.5%to 91.3%±1.4%for S.mutans.Compared with pristine steel(SS),ZH+PRMs coating showed ca.97.0%reduction for calcium carbonate and ca.87.3%reduction for calcium phosphate.In an in vitro model,compared with SS,our coating extended the crystal biofilm inhibition effect from one day to five days.Therefore,this study can provide promising strategies for reducing the risk of dental caries and gingivitis during orthodontic treatment.
文摘X.Li,J.Gao,L.Gao,et al.,“Self-Aggregation-Induced Polymerization for Constructing Multifunctional Dynamic Zwitterionic Hydrogels,”Aggregate 6(2025):e70227.There was a graphical error in the chemical structures presented in Figure 1b and the Graphical Abstract.Figure 1b and the Graphical Abstract have been corrected to reflect the accurate chemical structure.
基金supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province(BK20240513).
文摘Maxillofacial wounds are often deep,irregularly shaped,and prone to scarring,which can cause significant psychological distress.Developing advanced wound dressings to address these issues is therefore very important.This study created a novel two-component zwitterionic hydrogel(PNPs@COL@Gel)by adding cationic polymer nanoparticles(PNPs)and type III collagen(COL),which demonstrates excellent mechanical strength and injectability,allowing it to conform smoothly to irregular maxillofacial wound shapes.In vitro tests showed that the PNPs had synergistic photothermal and photodynamic antimicrobial effects under near-infrared-II(NIR-II)laser irradiation,with killing rates of 96.9%and 97.5%against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MRSA)and Escherichia coli,respectively.The hydrogel also effectively breaks down biofilms and prevents their formation,while COL supports infected wound healing and helps prevent scarring.In vivo studies further demonstrated the therapeutic potential of this zwitterionic hydrogel.Mice with infected maxillofacial wounds healed faster,with the hydrogel penetrating deeply to treat subcutaneous pustular infections.Additionally,the hydrogel modulated the immune environment of wound tissues,encouraged epithelial cell growth,improved blood vessel formation,and greatly reduced scarring.These results offer a promising new approach for achieving scarless healing in maxillofacial wounds.
基金supported by the National Key R&D Program of China(2024YFE0104000)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(U20A20260,22075209,and 52173060)the Key Program of Tianjin Municipal Natural Science Foundation(No.22JCZDJC00570).
文摘Zwitterionic hydrogels have attracted considerable attention as advanced biomaterials.However,the fabrication of traditional zwitterionic hydrogels typically relies on harsh polymerization conditions,and their backbone structures are non-biodegradable.In this study,we develop a self-aggregation-induced polymerization(SAIP)mechanism that enables the spontaneous formation of multifunctional zwitterionic hydrogels under mild aqueous conditions,utilizing a rationally designed lipoic acid-carboxybetaine monomer with lipoic acid-modified hyaluronic acid(LAHA)crosslinker.This SAIP mechanism is driven by the synergistic interaction between the strongly hydrophilic zwitterionic moieties and hydrophobic 1,2-dithiolanes,promoting monomer selfaggregation into high-concentration reactive microenvironments,thus facilitating efficient ring-opening polymerization without external catalysts or stimuli.The incorporation of LAHA as a crosslinker results in the formation of a stable zwitterionic hydrogel,distinguished by its mild preparation conditions,rapid spontaneous gelation(116 s),and controlled depolymerization through dynamic disulfide bonds.Furthermore,the resulting hydrogel demonstrates high water content(>76%),robust mechanical properties(compressive stress up to 3.86 MPa),exceptional antioxidant activity(>90%DPPH scavenging),high biocompatibility,and superior living cell encapsulation and protection.This study provides a fundamental understanding of hydrogel formation through the SAIP mechanism and advances the development of zwitterionic hydrogels,making the resulting hydrogel an attractive candidate for biomedical applications.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.T2222013,52233008 and 52073203).
文摘Zwitterionic polymers are polymers containing a pair of oppositely charged groups in their repeating units,which facilitate the formation of a hydration layer on the surface through ionic solvation.This strong hydration results in the remarkable properties of zwitterionic polymer hydrogels,including antifouling,lubricating,and anti-freezing capabilities.Owing to these properties,zwitterionic polymer hydrogels have attracted notable attention in biomedical and engineering fields.However,the superhydrophilicity of zwitterionic polymer hydrogels renders them brittle and weak,considerably limiting their use in load-bearing applications.Thus,there is an urgent need to improve the mechanical properties of zwitterionic hydrogels.In this work,we systematically review mechanical enhancement strategies for zwitterionic polymer hydrogels.We cover strate-gies applicable to hybrid and pure high-strength zwitterionic polymer hydrogels.Additionally,we discuss the advantages and limitations of various strength enhancement strategies.
基金financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(T2222013,52233008 and 52073203)the Science&Technology Development Fund of Tianjin Education Commission for Higher Education(2024KJ211).
文摘Current clinical vitreous substitutes employed in vitrectomy and retinal surgery are frequently associated with complications such as emulsification,vitreous opacities,and inflammation,highlighting the urgent demand for safer biomaterial alternatives.Herein,we report a purely zwitterionic polymer hydrogel for vitreous replacement,which is constructed entirely from a zwitterionic monomer(carboxybetaine ureido acrylate)without any covalent cross-linkers or non-zwitterionic segments,and self-crosslinked via multivalent hydrogen bonding and dipole-dipole interactions.The supramolecular network of poly(carboxybetaine ureido acrylate)(PCBUIA)hydrogels exhibits pronounced shear-thinning properties for smooth injection and rapid self-healing to restore mechanical integrity once the shear force is removed.The PCBUIA hydrogels also match native vitreous in density(1.016-1.021 g/cm^(3)),refractive index(1.3359-1.3389)and transmittance(>90%),while exhibiting comparable viscoelastic behavior.Moreover,the zwitterionic hydration layer confers PCBUIA hydrogels with ultralow protein adsorption and markedly suppresses cell attachment;notably,it cannot provoke any foreign-body reaction or fibrotic capsule formation,demonstrating an outstanding biocompatibility.After one month of implantation in rabbit eyes,the PCBUIA hydrogels maintained optical transparency,preserved native retinal morphology,and did not cause elevated intraocular pressure and inflammatory response.These findings demonstrate the potential of purely zwitterionic polymer hydrogels as vitreous substitutes.However,further long-term in vivo studies are required to evaluate their stability and functional performance.
基金the Key Program of Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province(LZ15C200001)the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs(2022SNJF0202022SNJF069).
文摘Indicating hydrogels have shown the advantages of being fast, sensitive, and real-time in demonstrating the freshness of aquatic products due to their noticeable color change. In this work, an anti-freezing hydrogel embedded with pH-sensitive alizarin was developed as an original colorimetric indicator for monitoring the corruption of aquatic products at low temperatures. The anti-freezing hydrogel was prepared from 2-carboxyethyl acrylate, [2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl]-trimethylammonium chloride, and 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate monomers with triethylene glycol dimethacrylate as cross-linking agent. The hydrogel showed excellent anti-freezing capability, which was further incorporated with the pH-sensitive dye alizarin to gain the indicating capability. When applied in the indication of the freshness of salmon under low-temperature storage, it was found that the color changes of the indicator corresponded with the total volatile basic nitrogen contents of salmon, the correlation coefficient of which was 0.959 6. These results indicated the application potential of the hydrogels as freshness indicators during low-temperature storage or cold-chain transportation.
