Researchers led by Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) Assistant Professor Jiawei Yang have designed a modular system that could potentially improve hydrogel implants in the body by customizing the materials for stiffness and functionality.

At left, hydrogels developed by Jiawei Yang and a team of researchers exhibit different colors according to their coatings. At right, a microscopic image of a hydrogel surface. Photos courtesy of Jiawei Yang. The system, described in the peer-reviewed journal Science Advances, uses coatings to treat the surface of hydrogels, which are flexible, water-loaded polymers. 

The performance and applications of carbon materials are tightly related to their structural characteristics, especially the types and distribution of defects. However, defect structures at the atomic level have long been regarded as a ‘black box’ in carbon science. Now, researchers from Japan have shed light on these structural mysteries. By integrating advanced spectroscopy with computer simulations, they precisely identified the atomic configurations responsible for key defect peaks, paving the way for advanced material engineering. 

By harvesting the energy destined for nonradiative decay and redirecting energy flux in dye-sensitized Er³⁺-based nanoparticles via an active shell (Yb³⁺), a three-order-of-magnitude enhancement at 1525 nm was achieved. The mechanistic insights and design principles inform the development of efficient NIR-II nanoprobes, demonstrating substantial potential for advancing vascular biology.