Researchers Create 185-Barrer Hydrogel With 70% Water Using VPS for Long-Term Wearables
Updated
Updated · Nature.com · Jul 8
Researchers Create 185-Barrer Hydrogel With 70% Water Using VPS for Long-Term Wearables
1 articles · Updated · Nature.com · Jul 8
Summary
A viscoelastic phase-separation method built hydrogels with oxygen permeability up to 185 barrer at 70 vol% water—about 10 times higher than pristine hydrogels and above many silicone hydrogels.
The gain comes from a stable 3D network of superhydrophobic aerogel particles that traps air inside the water-rich material; at low particle loading, the network peaked around 8 hours of formation.
Tests showed the material stayed soft and durable, losing only about 5% of air permeability after 10,000 stretch cycles and maintaining air tunnels during 10 days in water.
In wear trials, VPS patches reduced sweat buildup and heat accumulation versus silicone patches, while conductive versions delivered clearer ECG signals during exercise and stable monitoring through 10 days.
The approach worked across PVA, alginate, agarose, chitosan and gelatin hydrogels, pointing to scalable uses in wound care, wearable sensors and other long-term biomedical interfaces.
With record-breaking breathability, what is the biggest hurdle preventing these hydrogels from reaching consumer medical devices?
Beyond wearables, how could materials that perfectly blend air and water transform industries like soft robotics or advanced filtration?
What are the long-term biological risks of embedding porous silica particles within skin-contact medical devices?
Lung-Inspired VPS Hydrogels Achieve Breakthrough Breathability for Next-Generation Wearables and Medical Devices
Overview
A groundbreaking report published in Nature on July 8, 2026, marks a new era for hydrogel technology by introducing a novel bottom-up phase-engineering strategy. This innovation has enabled researchers to overcome fundamental and technical limitations, resulting in the creation of low-volume-fraction yet ultrastable materials. The new VPS hydrogels, inspired by the structure of lungs, achieve unprecedented breathability, directly addressing the discomfort and skin irritation caused by traditional hydrogels. With enhanced air permeability, these hydrogels allow the skin to 'breathe' while maintaining structural integrity, opening up vast possibilities for innovation in wearables and medical devices.