Compartmentalized reaction networks regulating signal processing, communication and pattern formation are central to living systems. Towards achieving life-like materials, we compartmentalized urea-urease and more complex urea-urease/ester-esterase pH-feedback reaction networks into hydrogel spheres and investigate how fuel-driven pH fronts can be sent out from these spheres and regulated by internal reaction networks. Membrane characteristics are installed by covering urease spheres with responsive hydrogel shells. We then encapsulate the two networks (urea-urease and ester-esterase) separately into different hydrogel spheres to devise communication, pattern formation and attraction. Moreover, these pH fronts and patterns can be used for self-growing hydrogels, and for developing complex geometries from non-injectable hydrogels without 3D printing tools. This study opens possibilities for compartmentalized feedback reactions and their use in next generation materials fabrication.

中文翻译：

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具有 pH 前沿的活性水凝胶球的反馈和通信：生长软水凝胶结构的简便方法

调节信号处理、通信和模式形成的分区反应网络是生命系统的核心。为了获得栩栩如生的材料，我们将脲-脲酶和更复杂的脲-脲酶/酯-酯酶 pH 反馈反应网络划分为水凝胶球，并研究如何从这些球中发出燃料驱动的 pH 前沿并通过内部反应进行调节网络。通过用响应性水凝胶壳覆盖脲酶球来设置膜特性。然后，我们将两个网络（脲-脲酶和酯-酯酶）分别封装到不同的水凝胶球中，以设计通信、图案形成和吸引力。此外，这些 pH 前沿和图案可用于自生长水凝胶，以及在不使用 3D 打印工具的情况下从不可注射水凝胶开发复杂的几何形状。这项研究为分区反馈反应及其在下一代材料制造中的应用开辟了可能性。