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Chemical O2-generated aerogel-structured wearable microreactors
Yuzhen Li1,2, Yafei Ding2, Yongji Li2
1School of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, PR China.
Nature Communications
|May 6, 2026
Summary
Researchers developed wearable microreactors using armored aerogel fibers for on-demand oxygen generation. These devices offer improved fluid transport and textile integration, effectively treating hypoxia during in vivo trials.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Chemical Engineering
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Wearable microreactors are crucial for life-sustaining processes like oxygen generation.
- Existing materials lack the necessary robustness, textile integration, and efficient fluid transport.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a wearable microreactor overcoming limitations in current materials.
- To demonstrate on-demand oxygen generation for treating hypoxia.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of armored aramid aerogel hollow fibers with heat-shrink tubing.
- Incorporation of a nanoconfined lubricant layer to reduce microfluidic drag.
- Development of an oxygen-generating wearable microreactor prototype.
Main Results:
- Achieved textile-compliant elasticity while preserving nanoporous structure.
- Reduced microfluidic drag by up to 68.1% using a nanoconfined lubricant.
- Demonstrated high space-time yield, 100% oxygen purity, and stable oxygen supply under stress.
Conclusions:
- Established a novel materials paradigm for wearable microreactors.
- Successfully alleviated acute hypoxia in in vivo trials at high altitude.
- Overcame the trade-off between wearability and continuous-flow microreactor performance for on-body chemical synthesis.
