Wearable pressure sensors have become increasingly popular for personal healthcare and motion detection applications due to recent advances in materials science and functional nanomaterials. In this study, a novel composite hydrogel is presented as a sensitive piezoresistive sensor that can be utilized for various biomedical applications, such as wearable skin patches and integrated artificial skin that can measure pulse and blood pressure, as well as monitor sound as a self‐powered microphone. The hydrogel is composed of self‐assembled short peptides containing aromatic, positively‐ or negatively charged amino acids combined with 2D Ti₃C₂T_z MXene nanosheets. This material is low‐cost, facile, reliable, and scalable for large areas while maintaining high sensitivity, a wide detection range, durability, oxidation stability, and biocompatibility. The bioinspired nanostructure, strong mechanical stability, and ease of functionalization make the assembled peptide‐based composite MXene‐hydrogel a promising and widely applicable material for use in bio‐related wearable electronics.

Supramolecular hydrogels formed by the self-assembly of amino-acid based gelators are receiving increasing attention from the fields of biomedicine and material science. Self-assembled systems exhibit well-ordered functional architectures and unique physicochemical properties. However, the control over the kinetics and mechanical properties of the end-products remains puzzling. A minimal alteration of the chemical environment could cause a significant impact. In this context, we report the effects of modifying the position of a single atom on the properties and kinetics of the self-assembly process. A combination of experimental and computational methods, used to investigate double-fluorinated Fmoc-Phe derivatives, Fmoc-3,4F-Phe and Fmoc-3,5F-Phe, reveals the unique effects of modifying the position of a single fluorine on the self-assembly process, and the physical properties of the product. The presence of significant physical and morphological differences between the two derivatives was verified by molecular-dynamics simulations. Analysis of the spontaneous phase-transition of both building blocks, as well as crystal X-ray diffraction to determine the molecular structure of Fmoc-3,4F-Phe, are in good agreement with known changes in the Phe fluorination pattern and highlight the effect of a single atom position on the self-assembly process. These findings prove that fluorination is an effective strategy to influence supramolecular organization on the nanoscale. Moreover, we believe that a deep understanding of the self-assembly process may provide fundamental insights that will facilitate the development of optimal amino-acid-based low-molecular-weight hydrogelators for a wide range of applications.

Peptide-based self-assembled hydrogels are promising materials for diverse applications due to their biocompatibility, tunable mechanical properties, and ability to form nanostructured networks via noncovalent interactions. One of the most extensively studied hydrogelators, fluorenylmethyloxycarbonyl-diphenylalanine (Fmoc-FF), rapidly self-assembles into a 3D hydrogel capable of encapsulating enzymes and proteins, making it an attractive candidate for drug delivery applications and the protection of oxygen-sensitive biomolecules. However, its fast gelation results in heterogeneous structures and low-density cavities, limiting its uniformity and complicating the handling. Chirality plays a critical role in peptide self-assembly, yet its impact on hydrogel functionality remains underexplored. Here, we investigate how chirality influences the self-assembly kinetics, morphology, and structural properties of all four enantiomeric forms of Fmoc-FF. Using a range of analytical techniques, we tracked the morphological transitions from monomers to supramolecular nanostructures. Hydrogels formed from homoenantiomers displayed greater rigidity and faster gelation, while heteroenantiomeric systems exhibited a slower, three-phase transition from turbid nanospheres to transparent fibrillary gels. This slower gelation may be advantageous for controlled encapsulation, allowing for homogeneous distribution of the cargo. Finally, all enantiomeric hydrogels effectively prevented oxygen diffusion through their nanofiber networks, allowing H₂ production by the oxygen-sensitive enzyme hydrogenase, which was encapsulated within the hydrogels. These findings highlight the potential of enantiomeric design in developing peptide hydrogels for various applications, particularly the encapsulation of small molecules and large proteins as well as oxygen-sensitive processes.

The rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria emphasizes the urgent need for alternative therapeutic strategies. Self-assembling nanostructures, such as fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl-pentafluoro-l-phenylalanine (Fmoc-F₅-Phe), have shown promising antibacterial activity by selectively targeting bacterial membranes. However, the influence of fluorine positioning on hydrogel's physical and biological properties remains poorly understood. Here, we evaluate three single-fluorinated Fmoc-phenylalanine derivatives, each featuring a fluorine substitution at a different aromatic position. We demonstrate that even subtle positional changes dramatically affect self-assembly kinetics, nanostructure morphology, mechanical properties, and antibacterial performance. While Fmoc-F₅-Phe hydrogels are not stable, the single-fluorinated analogues exhibit improved stability and mechanical properties. Among them, Fmoc-4-F-Phe shows the highest antibacterial activity, effectively inhibiting the growth of Streptococcus mutans at low concentrations, increasing ROS levels, disrupting bacterial morphology, and reducing biofilm formation. These biocompatible, self-assembled hydrogels offer a versatile platform for antimicrobial applications with potential in surface coatings, highlighting their promise as next-generation antibacterial biomaterials.

Chronic wounds and severe burns pose a major clinical challenge, as they often heal slowly or fail to respond to conventional treatments. In addition, there is a critical lack of tools for personalized, continuous monitoring of the healing process. Although progress has been made in both regenerative biomaterials and wearable biosensors, their integration into a unified platform that enables in situ, real‐time monitoring of wound healing remains a major challenge. Here, a multifunctional bioelectronic scaffold is introduced that enables label‐free, real‐time monitoring of cellular behavior directly on a regenerative material interface. The scaffold is fabricated by electrospinning polycaprolactone (PCL) functionalized with the bioactive, self‐assembling peptide fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl‐phenylalanine‐arginine‐glycine‐aspartic acid (Fmoc‐FRGD) to promote cell adhesion and proliferation. To enable electrical sensing, biocompatible MXene (Ti ₃ C ₂ T _X ) electrodes are conformally deposited onto the nanofibrous matrix, preserving its biological and structural properties. Using electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), the system provides continuous, non‐destructive readouts of cell viability, adhesion, and surface coverage. Impedance parameters extracted at low frequencies strongly correlate with biologically relevant metrics, offering a quantitative means to track cellular dynamics without additional labelling. This work establishes a foundational bioelectronic scaffold for real‐time monitoring of cell behavior, demonstrating potential for integration into regenerative therapies and advanced wound‐care systems.

Surgical success relies on precise tissue approximation using sutures, clips, or staples. Fibrin sealant provides a user‐friendly alternative, saving time and maintaining tissue integrity. Yet, its cost and potential bioburden risk are notable drawbacks. To address these concerns, a semi‐autologous fibrin sealant is produced from human cryoprecipitate and compared it to a commercial fibrin sealant. The microstructure of the semi‐autologous sealant closely resembles the commercial one. Initially, the commercial sealant has superior bonding strength, however, over time, both demonstrate strong adhesive properties. Moreover, when the two sealants contain equivalent fibrinogen concentrations, they show similar bonding strength and rheological properties, including thixotropic behavior, which is essential for their application as bioadhesives. Notably, it is discovered that the mechanical properties of the adhesive are mainly governed by the fibrinogen concentration, with minimal impact of other blood components. This understanding paves the way for the development of an efficient method to boost fibrinogen in blood without extensive separation. This study indicates semi‐autologous fibrin glue matches commercial sealant in adhesive properties. This may offer several advantages, such as reduced bioburden, costs, improved immunomodulation, and reduced hypersensitivity and virus transmission risks. These findings hold promising prospects for enhancing the wound healing process in various medical conditions.