This AI-designed hydrogel holds over 1 MPa of underwater grip, a record for its class

A new hydrogel designed with the help of artificial intelligence has achieved underwater adhesive strength exceeding 1 MPa, making it one of the strongest reported in its class, according to researchers at Osaka University and collaborating institutions in Japan.

The team combined machine learning, data mining and high-throughput laboratory experiments to optimise the hydrogel’s composition, sidestepping the trial-and-error approach that has long slowed the development of materials that are simultaneously strong, adhesive, flexible and self-healing. Their AI model analysed large datasets to predict promising molecular structures, which were then synthesised and tested in the lab.

Published in Nature under the title ‘Data-driven de novo design of super-adhesive hydrogels,’ the study describes an “AI-driven materials discovery framework for multifunctional hydrogels” that dramatically reduced the time typically needed for such breakthroughs. The resulting material combines exceptional underwater adhesion with high toughness, elasticity and rapid, repeatable self-healing.

Researchers say the hydrogel’s properties could translate into safer medical adhesives, wearable electronics, soft robotics and underwater repair technology — applications where conventional hydrogels, despite their flexibility and biocompatibility, have historically struggled once submerged in water.