Source: NCSU, 6/2/21



NC State researchers are turning wood byproducts into sensory hydrogels that can react to different stimuli and, through advanced manufacturing methods, are made into sustainable, biodegradable smart materials that can be used in agriculture, health care and even veterinary medicine.

“The future is more sustainable, and nanotechnology, nanomaterials and biomaterials, those are part of that future,” said Lokendra Pal, an associate professor of forest biomaterials in the College of Natural Resources.

Hydrogels are porous, polymeric materials that are up to 90% water. Because they’re water-heavy, they’re permeable on a molecular level, which means they can be altered by chemical and mechanical modifications to change physically and chemically when met with certain stimuli, like temperature, pressure and moisture. These changes can be monitored by electrical or mechanical transducers or simply by sight. 

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