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However, existing systems respond only to large stresses, suffer from fluorescence quenching, and lack bioactive functionalities, limiting their ability to detect and quantify subtle mechanical forces. This study reports on a stimuli\u2010responsive hydrogel with robust mechanics, pH sensitivity, biocompatibility, and pronounced mechano\u2010responsive fluorescence for sensitive, quantitative readout of low mechanical stress. \u00a0Hydrogels were synthesized from gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA), acrylamide (AM), and polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA) and infused with carbon\u2010based quantum dots (CQDs) derived from citric acid (GAPC) and cysteine\u2010modified citric acid (GAPCys). Under low compressive forces (250\u20131250\u00a0Pa), the operating range of soft grippers for delicate tissues, hydrogels showed a concentration\u2010dependent linear decrease in photoluminescence, establishing a quantitative correlation between fluorescence intensity and applied stress. The integration of CQDs with tunable hydrogel matrices overcomes fluorescence quenching while maintaining mechanical robustness and bioactivity. These mechanofluorescent hydrogels offer a platform for applications including soft robotic grippers, tissue engineering scaffolds monitoring forces during growth, and implantable sensors for quantitative strain tracking in organs, joints, or vasculature.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1002\/smll.202512265","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,14]],"date-time":"2026-01-14T09:55:06Z","timestamp":1768384506000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":8,"title":["Carbon Dot\u2010Based Mechanofluorescent Hydrogel with Tunable Fluorescence for Bioengineering Applications"],"prefix":"10.1002","volume":"22","author":[{"given":"Elahe","family":"Masaeli","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Biomedical Engineering McMaster University  Hamilton ON 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