Revolutionary LEGO-like Hydrogel System Enables Dynamic 3D Data Storage
TL;DR
The new LEGO-like hydrogel system offers a competitive edge in data storage with over 800 billion configurations, enabling dynamic, secure, and cost-effective information encoding.
A 5×5 array of hydrogel cubes uses supramolecular assembly and responds to stimuli like heat, salt, or light for reversible 3D data encoding and storage.
This innovative hydrogel technology paves the way for smarter labels and sensors, enhancing data security and environmental monitoring for a better tomorrow.
Imagine data that can change shape and disappear on demand, thanks to a jelly-like material inspired by LEGO blocks, revolutionizing how we store information.
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A team of researchers from Beijing University of Chemical Technology has unveiled a groundbreaking hydrogel system that mimics the modularity of LEGO blocks, enabling the dynamic storage and manipulation of data in three dimensions. This innovative approach, led by Professors Feng Shi and Mengjiao Cheng, utilizes soft, jelly-like materials that respond to external stimuli such as heat, salt, or light, allowing for the reversible encoding of information.
The system's 5×5 grid configuration can store over 800 billion distinct data configurations, a significant advancement over conventional static storage systems. According to Shi, this technology opens up new possibilities for applications in smart labels, biomedical tags, environmental sensors, and secure data encoding, thanks to its ability to store, erase, rewrite, and reshape information on demand.
The secret behind this technology lies in the interface chemistry between each hydrogel cube. Cheng explains that by programming how each surface reacts to its environment, the team has created a system where the flow and transformation of information are entirely controllable. This modular approach, inspired by the logic of LEGO blocks, allows for individual units to be swapped or reoriented without compromising the integrity of the entire structure.
Unlike traditional data storage methods that rely on electronics or batteries, this hydrogel system is based on soft materials, making it not only energy-efficient and scalable but also cost-effective. "We're building information systems out of matter itself—where materials don't just carry information, they become it," Cheng states, highlighting the potential for this technology to revolutionize how we think about data storage and manipulation.
For more detailed information on this research, visit the original source at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.supmat.2025.100099.
Curated from 24-7 Press Release
