Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: Control over when and where gelation occurs is central to the fabrication of structured soft materials, yet most approaches rely on chemical additives or uniform bulk triggers. Here, we show that cold plasma provides an external, reagent-free route to spatial and temporal control over gelation in low molecular weight hydrogel systems. Plasma exposure induces a localised decrease in pH at the plasma–liquid interface, triggering self-assembly and gel formation only in the treated region. This external plasma-induced self-assembly method enables direct writing of gel features from precursor solutions without embedded triggers, construction of three-dimensional architectures, and control over local mechanical properties through plasma dose. Our approach also allows simultaneous formation of metal nanoparticles within gels, yielding spatially confined composite and catalytic soft materials.
Source: ChemRxiv
Language: English
Subfield: Biomaterials
Field: Materials Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7222500102