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CdSe@ZnS/ZnS core/shell QDs were encapsulated by an amphiphilic polymer.•QD/PDMS nanocomposite was fabricated by using encapsulated QDs as a crosslinker.•Nanocomposite with uniform QD dispersion could be obtained even at high QD loading.•Synthesized nanocomposite showed high transparency due to uniform QD dispersion.•LED with the synthesized nanocomposite exhibited excellent luminous efficacy.

Smart contact lenses have the potential to serve as noninvasive healthcare devices or virtual displays. However, their implementation is limited by the lack of suitable power sources for microelectronic devices. This Article demonstrates smart contact lenses with fully embedded glucose fuel cells that are safe, flexible, and durable against deformations. These fuel cells produced stable power throughout the day or during intermittent use after storage for weeks. When the lenses were exposed to 0.05 mM glucose solution, a steady-state maximum power density of 4.4 μW/cm2 was achieved by optimizing the chemistry and porous structure of the fuel cell components. Additionally, even after bending the lenses in half 100 times, the fuel cell performance was maintained without any mechanical failure. Lastly, when the fuel cells were connected to electroresponsive hydrogel capacitors, we could clearly distinguish between the tear glucose levels under normal and diabetic conditions through the naked eye.

A molecular explosive was crystallized inside the polymer matrix by quenching while applying ultrasound.

Polysaccharides, such as hyaluronic acid, alginate, or chitosan, can be modified by addition of reactive functional groups to enable chemical crosslinking. Here, we studied how different methods of crosslinking methacrylate-functionalized chitosan affected the network structures of the resulting hydrogels. We then investigated how the porous network structures in turn influenced stiffness, macromolecular diffusion through the pores, and enzymatic degradation. All these properties are relevant for utilization of the chemically crosslinked hydrogels in biomedical applications, including tissue engineering and delivery of therapeutic agents. We made chitosan hydrogels using four crosslinking methods, which differ by type and by reaction kinetics. We found that four chitosan hydrogels having identical polymer fractions at an equilibrium swelling exhibited marked differences in their shear moduli, rate of dextran diffusion, and especially their enzymatic degradation behaviors. We inferred that these differences originated in variations among network structures, which were characterized by the formation of chain bundles and associated network heterogeneity as determined by small-angle X-ray scattering analysis.