Copyright thehindubusinessline
A group of researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee has developed tiny hydrogels that show life-like behaviour. Like humans, these hydrogels require chemical fuel (food) to function and interact with other small particles in a non-social manner. These hydrogels can host chemical reactions inside them, allowing them to organise themselves at the boundary between oil and water. They can also move tiny cargo. This research is a step toward next-generation intelligent materials, soft robots, and artificial cells that can sense, adapt, and respond to their complex surroundings. This research represents a significant step forward in the field of colloidal systems chemistry. It helps us understand how simple chemicals interact and create complex properties that can’t be made in normal, balanced conditions. “The team has designed life-like microscopic objects that are capable of self-regulating their organisation at the oil-water interface,” a spokesperson of IIT Roorkee has said. This research will provide future direction for self-operating miniature machines and help create life-like materials that are a current challenge for the scientific community. “Precision engineering of attractive and repulsive local interactions between these microscopic objects allowed programming of their macroscopic organisation. The study holds promise for the future of autonomous soft bio-inspired microbots in real-world applications,” he said. Such soft microscopic robots (microbots) would play key roles in environmental remediation and targeted drug delivery. The team was led by Pankaj S. Patwal, a PhD Research Scholar, under the supervision of Pavan Kumar Bosukonda. The study was published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS). The study explores how model microcompartments can utilise chemical reactions hosted within to power outward fluid flow around themselves and regulate their local interactions. “Our goal is to build smart materials that are capable of organising and responding like living systems, but made entirely from simple materials,” Patwal said. Published on November 4, 2025
