Cosmic large-scale structures, animal flocks and living tissues can be considered non-equilibrium organized systems created by dissipative processes. Replicating such properties in artificial systems is still difficult. Herein we report a dissipative network formation process in a dilute polymer–water mixture that leads to percolation-induced gel–gel phase separation. The dilute system, which forms a monophase structure at the percolation threshold, spontaneously separates into two co-continuous gel phases with a submillimetre scale (a dilute-percolated gel) during the deswelling process after the completion of the gelation reaction. The dilute-percolated gel, which contains 99% water, exhibits unexpected hydrophobicity and induces the development of adipose-like tissues in subcutaneous tissues. These findings support the development of dissipative structures with advanced functionalities for distinct applications, ranging from physical chemistry to tissue engineering.

See below for more information.

• Aritcle URL : https://www.nature.com/articles/s41563-023-01712-z
• Okada Lab. : https://www.okada-lab.phys.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/