‘Smart’ gel turns solid to liquid with UV light: How does it work?

Scientists at the University of Birmingham have developed a new smart material that can repeatedly switch between a solid-like gel and a flowing, liquid-like state using different external triggers. The breakthrough could open new possibilities in drug delivery, sensing, catalysis, and advanced materials.The research, published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, marks the development of the first multi-responsive gel built from synthetic molecules known as foldamers. These molecules can fold into specific shapes and be assembled, dismantled, and rebuilt when required.One material, multiple responsesThe newly developed material behaves differently depending on the stimulus applied to it. Ultraviolet light changes its molecular structure, causing the gel to lose its solid-like form and become liquid-like.