Water-state control unlocks durable and elastic silk fibroin hydrogels.

Andeng Liu, Yingjin Luo, Yuxi Zou, Shengyou Li, Yixin Dong, Lan Sun, Yun Yang, Hao Zhou, Meidan Ye, Wenxi Guo

Abstract read

In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it

0cells of the map it votes in

0citing papers in PubMed

–field-weighted citation impact

1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Andeng Liu *Department of Physics, College of Physical Science and Technology, Research Institution for Biomimetics and Soft Matter, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China.

Yingjin Luo *State Key Laboratory for Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China.

Yuxi ZouDepartment of Physics, College of Physical Science and Technology, Research Institution for Biomimetics and Soft Matter, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China.

Shengyou LiDepartment of Physics, College of Physical Science and Technology, Research Institution for Biomimetics and Soft Matter, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2326-4194

Yixin DongDepartment of Physics, College of Physical Science and Technology, Research Institution for Biomimetics and Soft Matter, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China.

Lan SunState Key Laboratory for Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China.

Yun YangDepartment of Physics, College of Physical Science and Technology, Research Institution for Biomimetics and Soft Matter, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China.

Hao ZhouDepartment of Physics, College of Physical Science and Technology, Research Institution for Biomimetics and Soft Matter, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China.

Meidan YeDepartment of Physics, College of Physical Science and Technology, Research Institution for Biomimetics and Soft Matter, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China. mdye@xmu.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5477-6689

Wenxi GuoDepartment of Physics, College of Physical Science and Technology, Research Institution for Biomimetics and Soft Matter, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China. wxguo@xmu.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0791-9023

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Protein hydrogels are highly valued for their biocompatibility and biodegradability, yet their practical use has been limited by poor mechanical strength and dehydration. Polymer‒water interactions govern hydrogel mechanics, whereas dehydration causes failure, rendering water retention and hydration-mediated mechanics critical research focuses. Here, we introduce an ion-mediated hydration engineering (IMHE) strategy that reworks the aqueous states within silk fibroin hydrogels via controlled dehydration‒rehydration. This process converts free water into bound water, which enhances chain mobility and stabilizes hierarchical structures. The resulting hydrogel (HSF-MIN) exhibits distinct properties: a 186-fold increase in compressive strength (5.6 MPa), nearly 100% compressible deformation, superelasticity, and long-term stability (maintaining ~80% hydration over 1 year) while maintaining low hysteresis (<5%). These enhancements enable long-term high-performance sensing using low-hysteresis pressure sensors and high-fidelity bioelectric acquisition. We further introduce a water‒polymer interaction model to elucidate the strength‒elasticity synergy. Notably, IMHE also has universality in gelatin hydrogels, thus providing a way for the preparation of high-performance hydrogels.

Identifiers

PMID42749726

DOI10.1038/s41467-026-76855-z

PMCPMC13583007

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata

Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.