Flows in hydrogel membranes: syneresis, permeation and selective retention

I will first discuss the dynamics of biopolymer droplets impacting a bath in which they gel. We will demonstrate how the gelation process—particularly the phenomenon of syneresis, i.e., the expulsion of water from the forming gel—affects the relaxation and final shape of the droplets.

Next, I will address water permeation through hydrogel membranes obtained by photopolymerizing PEGDA in the presence of free chains. We will show how water permeation can be controlled by the concentration of free chains and how the presence of these trapped free chains within the PEGDA matrix enables selective solute retention.