Nature, Published online: 15 July 2026; doi:10.1038/s41586-026-10746-7

A catalyst-free upcycling strategy based on in situ generation of hydroxyl radicals at microdroplet interfaces is described for efficient and scalable processing of polymers with minimal infrastructure, using only water and oxygen under mild conditions.

Nature, Published online: 08 July 2026; doi:10.1038/s41586-026-10712-3

Viscoelastic phase separation is used to fabricate non-collapsible, air-rich networks in high-water-content hydrogels containing silica aerogel beads, allowing air to permeate through the material and enabling a tenfold increase in oxygen permeability over pristine hydrogels.