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Passive nanorheological tool to characterise hydrogels
Moira Lorenzo Lopez1,2, Victoria R Kearns2, Eann A Patterson1
1School of Engineering, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3BX, UK. M.Lorenzo-Lopez@liverpool.ac.uk.
Nanoscale
|June 11, 2025
Summary
A new passive nanorheological tool tracks nanoprobes to characterize soft hydrogels at the micro/nanoscale. This inexpensive method maps local properties and identifies real-time phase transitions in materials.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Soft Matter Physics
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Hydrogels are versatile materials with tuneable micro/sub-micron structures, but their properties are difficult to characterize quantitatively at the local level.
- Existing techniques often measure bulk properties, failing to capture local variations, heterogeneity, or real-time responses, especially in high-water-content soft hydrogels.
- Characterizing soft hydrogels is challenging due to weak signals and noisy data from their complex nature.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and present a novel passive nanorheological tool for characterizing soft hydrogels.
- To enable micro/nanoscale property mapping in heterogeneous soft materials.
- To provide a user-friendly, cost-effective, and time-efficient method for hydrogel analysis.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing a label-free optical microscopy technique to track nanoprobes within the hydrogel matrix.
- Employing passive nanorheology to indirectly probe material properties at the micro/nanoscale.
- Developing a method for quantitative characterization of local environments and dynamic responses.
Main Results:
- The developed tool effectively maps micro/nano-scale properties in local environments of heterogeneous soft materials.
- Real-time sol-gel phase transitions in thermosensitive hydrogels were successfully identified.
- The technique proved to be inexpensive, time-efficient, and user-friendly, overcoming limitations of traditional methods.
Conclusions:
- The novel passive nanorheological tool offers a powerful new capability for characterizing soft hydrogels.
- This method allows for detailed analysis of local variations and dynamic behavior, crucial for material design.
- The tool has significant potential for applications in soft material design, manufacturing, and quality control.
