Science Daily   October 23, 2023 Introducing anisotropic properties, and shape-change programmability to responsive hydrogels promises a host of opportunities in the development of soft robots. An international team of researchers (Canada, Germany) synthesized pH-responsive hydrogel nanocomposites with predetermined microstructural anisotropy, shape-transformation, and self-healing. They were largely composed of zwitterionic monomers and asymmetric cellulose nanocrystals. While the zwitterionic nature of the network imparted both self-healing and cytocompatibility to the hydrogel nanocomposites, the shear-induced alignment of cellulose nanocrystals rendered their anisotropic swelling and mechanical properties. They utilized a cut-and-paste approach to program reversible, and complex deformation into the hydrogels. As a proof-of-concept, […]