{"id":246,"date":"2025-08-14T11:39:50","date_gmt":"2025-08-14T18:39:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/?p=246"},"modified":"2025-08-14T11:39:50","modified_gmt":"2025-08-14T18:39:50","slug":"soft-hydrogel-cubes-store-800-billion-pieces-of-data-in-lego-like-3d-codes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/2025\/08\/14\/soft-hydrogel-cubes-store-800-billion-pieces-of-data-in-lego-like-3d-codes\/","title":{"rendered":"Soft Hydrogel Cubes Store 800 Billion Pieces of Data in LEGO-like 3D Codes"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Imagine a QR code that can be rewritten, reshaped, or erased without a computer\u2014just by changing its temperature, shining light, or dipping it in a solution.<\/p>\n<p>Researchers at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.buct.edu.cn\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Beijing University of Chemical Technology<\/a> have made that possible by creating reconfigurable 3D codes from jelly-like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scientificamerican.com\/article\/what-are-hydrogels-and-why-are-they-useful\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">hydrogel<\/a> cubes. Their study, published in <em>Supramolecular Materials<\/em> (<a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.supmat.2025.100099\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">DOI: 10.1016\/j.supmat.2025.100099<\/a>), shows how these soft building blocks can be assembled like LEGO pieces to store more than 800 billion distinct pieces of information in a compact, physical format.<\/p>\n<h2>Turning Soft Materials into Data Carriers<\/h2>\n<p>Led by Professors <a href=\"https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=FengShi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Feng Shi<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=MengjiaoCheng\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mengjiao Cheng<\/a>, the team designed three types of millimeter-sized hydrogel cubes, each able to change color when exposed to a specific trigger: cold temperatures, UV light, or redox reactions with iodine and vitamin C. Each cube is coated with charged molecules so that opposite charges attract and lock together. This reversible <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41578-020-0193-4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">supramolecular chemistry<\/a> means the cubes can be connected, taken apart, and rearranged at will.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;Unlike fixed QR codes or barcodes, this system can store, erase, rewrite, and reshape information in three dimensions,&#8221; said Shi.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h2>How the System Works<\/h2>\n<p>Each cube acts as a \u201cpixel\u201d in a 3D code. When arranged into a 5\u00d75 grid, the array can be programmed by stimulus\u2014changing the color of specific cubes\u2014or by physically swapping their positions. The system supports:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Temperature-responsive red cubes<\/strong> that turn pink below 15\u00b0C<\/li>\n<li><strong>Redox-responsive black cubes<\/strong> that switch between black and white with iodine and vitamin C<\/li>\n<li><strong>UV-responsive green cubes<\/strong> that revert to white when heated<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The combination of physical arrangement and stimulus-controlled color changes allows an enormous number of unique configurations. According to the team\u2019s calculations, a 5\u00d75 grid of these cubes can encode more than 8\u00d710<sup>11<\/sup> different messages. Larger grids could reach \u201cvirtually limitless\u201d storage capacity. Reconfigurable hydrogel designs like this draw from advances in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41563-020-0798-1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">adaptive materials science<\/a> that enable versatile, dynamic information display and storage.<\/p>\n<h2>From Secure Tags to Environmental Sensors<\/h2>\n<p>Because the codes are made from soft, inexpensive materials and require no electronics, the researchers see potential uses in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalgeographic.com\/science\/article\/how-biodegradable-sensors-could-protect-the-environment\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">biomedical tags, environmental sensors, and smart labels<\/a> for secure data encoding. The cubes can also be reused repeatedly, reducing waste and lowering costs.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;By programming how each surface responds to its environment, we create a system where both the flow and transformation of information become controllable,&#8221; said Cheng.<\/p>\n<h2>Why It Matters<\/h2>\n<p>Traditional 3D-printed codes are static. This approach makes them <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/science-environment-60708759\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">dynamic and updatable without any digital circuitry<\/a>. It\u2019s a step toward physical information systems where the material itself\u2014not just an embedded chip\u2014<em>is<\/em> the information. The team envisions applications where a physical object could carry a code that changes over time, revealing different information depending on environmental conditions or user actions.<\/p>\n<h2>Journal Reference<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Title:<\/strong> Lego-like Visible Assembly of Responsive Components via Flexible Supramolecular Connectivity to Realize High-capacity Information Encoding<br \/>\n<strong>Journal:<\/strong> <em>Supramolecular Materials<\/em><br \/>\n<strong>DOI:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.supmat.2025.100099\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">10.1016\/j.supmat.2025.100099<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Imagine a QR code that can be rewritten, reshaped, or erased without a computer\u2014just by changing its temperature, shining light, or dipping it in a solution. Researchers at Beijing University of Chemical Technology have made that possible by creating reconfigurable 3D codes from jelly-like hydrogel cubes. Their study, published in Supramolecular Materials (DOI: 10.1016\/j.supmat.2025.100099), shows &#8230; <a title=\"Soft Hydrogel Cubes Store 800 Billion Pieces of Data in LEGO-like 3D Codes\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/2025\/08\/14\/soft-hydrogel-cubes-store-800-billion-pieces-of-data-in-lego-like-3d-codes\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Soft Hydrogel Cubes Store 800 Billion Pieces of Data in LEGO-like 3D Codes\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1299,"featured_media":247,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-246","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-50"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.4 (Yoast SEO v27.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Soft Hydrogel Cubes Store 800 Billion Pieces of Data in LEGO-like 3D Codes - SciChi<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/2025\/08\/14\/soft-hydrogel-cubes-store-800-billion-pieces-of-data-in-lego-like-3d-codes\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Soft Hydrogel Cubes Store 800 Billion Pieces of Data in LEGO-like 3D Codes\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Imagine a QR code that can be rewritten, reshaped, or erased without a computer\u2014just by changing its temperature, shining light, or dipping it in a solution. Researchers at Beijing University of Chemical Technology have made that possible by creating reconfigurable 3D codes from jelly-like hydrogel cubes. Their study, published in Supramolecular Materials (DOI: 10.1016\/j.supmat.2025.100099), shows ... Read more\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/2025\/08\/14\/soft-hydrogel-cubes-store-800-billion-pieces-of-data-in-lego-like-3d-codes\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"SciChi\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-08-14T18:39:50+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/08\/image-14.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"486\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"500\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"SciChi\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"SciChi\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/14\\\/soft-hydrogel-cubes-store-800-billion-pieces-of-data-in-lego-like-3d-codes\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/14\\\/soft-hydrogel-cubes-store-800-billion-pieces-of-data-in-lego-like-3d-codes\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"SciChi\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/9974872362fae8e6096bd8c6637cf082\"},\"headline\":\"Soft Hydrogel Cubes Store 800 Billion Pieces of Data in LEGO-like 3D Codes\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-08-14T18:39:50+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/14\\\/soft-hydrogel-cubes-store-800-billion-pieces-of-data-in-lego-like-3d-codes\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":486,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/14\\\/soft-hydrogel-cubes-store-800-billion-pieces-of-data-in-lego-like-3d-codes\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/16\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/image-14.png\",\"articleSection\":[\"Technology\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/14\\\/soft-hydrogel-cubes-store-800-billion-pieces-of-data-in-lego-like-3d-codes\\\/#respond\"]}],\"copyrightYear\":\"2025\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/14\\\/soft-hydrogel-cubes-store-800-billion-pieces-of-data-in-lego-like-3d-codes\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/14\\\/soft-hydrogel-cubes-store-800-billion-pieces-of-data-in-lego-like-3d-codes\\\/\",\"name\":\"Soft Hydrogel Cubes Store 800 Billion Pieces of Data in LEGO-like 3D Codes - SciChi\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/14\\\/soft-hydrogel-cubes-store-800-billion-pieces-of-data-in-lego-like-3d-codes\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/14\\\/soft-hydrogel-cubes-store-800-billion-pieces-of-data-in-lego-like-3d-codes\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/16\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/image-14.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-08-14T18:39:50+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/14\\\/soft-hydrogel-cubes-store-800-billion-pieces-of-data-in-lego-like-3d-codes\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/14\\\/soft-hydrogel-cubes-store-800-billion-pieces-of-data-in-lego-like-3d-codes\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/14\\\/soft-hydrogel-cubes-store-800-billion-pieces-of-data-in-lego-like-3d-codes\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/16\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/image-14.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/16\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/image-14.png\",\"width\":486,\"height\":500,\"caption\":\"Diagram illustrating 3D code formation through macroscopic supramolecular assembly, with information that can be reset and rewritten in response to stimuli.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/14\\\/soft-hydrogel-cubes-store-800-billion-pieces-of-data-in-lego-like-3d-codes\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Soft Hydrogel Cubes Store 800 Billion Pieces of Data in LEGO-like 3D Codes\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/\",\"name\":\"SciChi\",\"description\":\"Tracking Chinese Research\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"SciChi\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/16\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/scichi-logo-cropped.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/16\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/scichi-logo-cropped.jpg\",\"width\":796,\"height\":296,\"caption\":\"SciChi\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/9974872362fae8e6096bd8c6637cf082\",\"name\":\"SciChi\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/45bfcb06f83fff507782e1030e14a31f738fce0220fc6a8fea863d633e61311f?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/45bfcb06f83fff507782e1030e14a31f738fce0220fc6a8fea863d633e61311f?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/45bfcb06f83fff507782e1030e14a31f738fce0220fc6a8fea863d633e61311f?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"SciChi\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/sciencechina\\\/author\\\/chinaresearch\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Soft Hydrogel Cubes Store 800 Billion Pieces of Data in LEGO-like 3D Codes - SciChi","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/2025\/08\/14\/soft-hydrogel-cubes-store-800-billion-pieces-of-data-in-lego-like-3d-codes\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Soft Hydrogel Cubes Store 800 Billion Pieces of Data in LEGO-like 3D Codes","og_description":"Imagine a QR code that can be rewritten, reshaped, or erased without a computer\u2014just by changing its temperature, shining light, or dipping it in a solution. Researchers at Beijing University of Chemical Technology have made that possible by creating reconfigurable 3D codes from jelly-like hydrogel cubes. Their study, published in Supramolecular Materials (DOI: 10.1016\/j.supmat.2025.100099), shows ... Read more","og_url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/2025\/08\/14\/soft-hydrogel-cubes-store-800-billion-pieces-of-data-in-lego-like-3d-codes\/","og_site_name":"SciChi","article_published_time":"2025-08-14T18:39:50+00:00","og_image":[{"width":486,"height":500,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/08\/image-14.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"SciChi","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"SciChi","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/2025\/08\/14\/soft-hydrogel-cubes-store-800-billion-pieces-of-data-in-lego-like-3d-codes\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/2025\/08\/14\/soft-hydrogel-cubes-store-800-billion-pieces-of-data-in-lego-like-3d-codes\/"},"author":{"name":"SciChi","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/#\/schema\/person\/9974872362fae8e6096bd8c6637cf082"},"headline":"Soft Hydrogel Cubes Store 800 Billion Pieces of Data in LEGO-like 3D Codes","datePublished":"2025-08-14T18:39:50+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/2025\/08\/14\/soft-hydrogel-cubes-store-800-billion-pieces-of-data-in-lego-like-3d-codes\/"},"wordCount":486,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/2025\/08\/14\/soft-hydrogel-cubes-store-800-billion-pieces-of-data-in-lego-like-3d-codes\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/08\/image-14.png","articleSection":["Technology"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/2025\/08\/14\/soft-hydrogel-cubes-store-800-billion-pieces-of-data-in-lego-like-3d-codes\/#respond"]}],"copyrightYear":"2025","copyrightHolder":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/#organization"}},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/2025\/08\/14\/soft-hydrogel-cubes-store-800-billion-pieces-of-data-in-lego-like-3d-codes\/","url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/2025\/08\/14\/soft-hydrogel-cubes-store-800-billion-pieces-of-data-in-lego-like-3d-codes\/","name":"Soft Hydrogel Cubes Store 800 Billion Pieces of Data in LEGO-like 3D Codes - SciChi","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/2025\/08\/14\/soft-hydrogel-cubes-store-800-billion-pieces-of-data-in-lego-like-3d-codes\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/2025\/08\/14\/soft-hydrogel-cubes-store-800-billion-pieces-of-data-in-lego-like-3d-codes\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/08\/image-14.png","datePublished":"2025-08-14T18:39:50+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/2025\/08\/14\/soft-hydrogel-cubes-store-800-billion-pieces-of-data-in-lego-like-3d-codes\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/2025\/08\/14\/soft-hydrogel-cubes-store-800-billion-pieces-of-data-in-lego-like-3d-codes\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/2025\/08\/14\/soft-hydrogel-cubes-store-800-billion-pieces-of-data-in-lego-like-3d-codes\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/08\/image-14.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/08\/image-14.png","width":486,"height":500,"caption":"Diagram illustrating 3D code formation through macroscopic supramolecular assembly, with information that can be reset and rewritten in response to stimuli."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/2025\/08\/14\/soft-hydrogel-cubes-store-800-billion-pieces-of-data-in-lego-like-3d-codes\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Soft Hydrogel Cubes Store 800 Billion Pieces of Data in LEGO-like 3D Codes"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/#website","url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/","name":"SciChi","description":"Tracking Chinese Research","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/#organization","name":"SciChi","url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/04\/scichi-logo-cropped.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/04\/scichi-logo-cropped.jpg","width":796,"height":296,"caption":"SciChi"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/#\/schema\/person\/9974872362fae8e6096bd8c6637cf082","name":"SciChi","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/45bfcb06f83fff507782e1030e14a31f738fce0220fc6a8fea863d633e61311f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/45bfcb06f83fff507782e1030e14a31f738fce0220fc6a8fea863d633e61311f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/45bfcb06f83fff507782e1030e14a31f738fce0220fc6a8fea863d633e61311f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"SciChi"},"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/author\/chinaresearch\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/08\/image-14.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":303,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/2025\/11\/23\/when-water-becomes-a-battery-flexible-skin-patch-pulls-power-from-thin-air\/","url_meta":{"origin":246,"position":0},"title":"When Water Becomes A Battery: Flexible Skin Patch Pulls Power From Thin Air","author":"SciChi","date":"November 23, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Imagine a bandage-like strip on your skin quietly turning humidity, breath and body heat into electricity for your devices. In a new study in the journal Wearable Electronics, a team led by researchers at Nanjing University reports a flexible evaporation-induced generator that uses a carefully engineered \u201cwater-ion-temperature\u201d gradient to reach\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Technology&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Technology","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/category\/technology\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A flexible EIG generates electricity through coupled mass, charge, and heat transfer, making it well suited for wearable devices.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/11\/generator.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/11\/generator.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/11\/generator.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/11\/generator.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":168,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/2025\/05\/23\/contact-lenses-give-humans-infrared-superhuman-vision\/","url_meta":{"origin":246,"position":1},"title":"Contact Lenses Give Humans Infrared Superhuman Vision","author":"SciChi","date":"May 23, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Scientists have developed contact lenses that grant humans the ability to see infrared light, opening up a previously invisible world of thermal signatures and wavelengths beyond normal human perception. The breakthrough transparent lenses use upconversion nanoparticles to transform near-infrared radiation into visible light, allowing wearers to detect information that would\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Technology&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Technology","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/category\/technology\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"red-headed woman puts on contact lens in mirror","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/05\/lens-4818786_1280.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/05\/lens-4818786_1280.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/05\/lens-4818786_1280.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/05\/lens-4818786_1280.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":293,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/2025\/11\/15\/body-heat-sparks-a-new-era-of-self-expanding-stents\/","url_meta":{"origin":246,"position":2},"title":"Body Heat Sparks A New Era Of Self Expanding Stents","author":"SciChi","date":"November 15, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"A tiny stent that unfurls inside the body using nothing more than warmth and moisture could reshape the future of minimally invasive vascular care. A new study in the Chinese Journal of Polymer Science from Northwestern Polytechnical University introduces a dual stimuli shape memory polymer that expands at body temperature\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Health&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Health","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/category\/health\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"The stent is first 3D printed, heated into a temporary shape, compressed for implantation, and then it returns to its original form once it warms and swells inside the body. Its material contains tiny micelles that link together during polymerization to create a strong, flexible network. The system is customizable, activates at body temperature, is biocompatible, and can recover its shape with substantial force.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/11\/stent.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":426,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/2026\/04\/09\/the-single-device-that-can-both-generate-and-store-clean-energy\/","url_meta":{"origin":246,"position":3},"title":"The Single Device That Can Both Generate and Store Clean Energy","author":"SciChi","date":"April 9, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Key Takeaways Solid oxide cells can generate electricity or produce hydrogen, offering versatility for clean energy transitions. A new review links solid oxide fuel cells and electrolysis cells, emphasizing a unified approach in research and application. Key challenges include high operating temperatures and material degradation, which hinder commercialization and reliability.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Environment&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Environment","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/category\/environment\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Whole-chain framework of solid oxide fuel and electrolysis cells.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2026\/04\/solid-oxide-fuel.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2026\/04\/solid-oxide-fuel.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2026\/04\/solid-oxide-fuel.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2026\/04\/solid-oxide-fuel.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":312,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/2025\/12\/22\/the-coating-that-heals-its-own-scars-and-fights-germs\/","url_meta":{"origin":246,"position":4},"title":"The Coating That Heals Its Own Scars and Fights Germs","author":"SciChi","date":"December 22, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Every scratch on a phone screen or scuff on a pair of safety goggles isn't just cosmetic damage. Those tiny cracks trap bacteria, cloud the surface, and weaken structural integrity. For years, materials scientists have faced a stubborn trade-off: make a coating hard enough to protect a device, and it's\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Technology&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Technology","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/category\/technology\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Schematic representation of the preparation process of PUa-C7 Seb+ materials.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/12\/image.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/12\/image.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/12\/image.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/12\/image.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":364,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/2026\/02\/13\/singapores-first-shipwreck-carried-a-record-haul-of-chinas-rarest-porcelain\/","url_meta":{"origin":246,"position":5},"title":"Singapore&#8217;s First Shipwreck Carried a Record Haul of China&#8217;s Rarest Porcelain","author":"SciChi","date":"February 13, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The ship itself is gone. Teredo worms saw to that \u2014 centuries of boring through waterlogged timber until every plank, every rib, every trace of the hull dissolved into the seabed at the eastern mouth of the Singapore Strait. What the worms couldn't eat was the cargo. And what a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Society&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Society","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/category\/society\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"YUAN DYNASTY BLUE-AND-WHITE PORCELAIN BOWL FRAGMENT PAINTED WITH A DRAGON INSIDE, 14TH CENTURY.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2026\/02\/porcelain.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2026\/02\/porcelain.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2026\/02\/porcelain.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2026\/02\/porcelain.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/246","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1299"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=246"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/246\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":248,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/246\/revisions\/248"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/247"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=246"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=246"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=246"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}