A new Cluster publication in Advanced Materials introduces a strategy for forming soft hydrogels more reliably. Doctoral Researchers Julian A. Serna, Michelle J. Iwohn, and Maike Schliephake, together with PI Pavel Levkin, temporarily “protect” thiols with S-nitrosothiols to prevent thiol-maleimide reactions from starting before polymer components are fully mixed.
This controlled delay enables homogeneous mixing before crosslinking is triggered on demand, resulting in more uniform hydrogels with tunable stiffness across a range relevant for biological tissues. The approach also supported 3D cell encapsulation in a cell-adhesive system, with cytocompatibility depending on formulation and cell type. As S-nitrosothiols can release nitric oxide-related species, the method could also enable future materials combining controlled network formation with local biochemical signaling.
© Serna, Iwohn, Seifermann, Heißler, Schliephake, Dopp, Muhle-Goll, Levkin, Advanced Materials (2026), CC BY 4.0