Porous PNIPAm hydrogels: Overcoming diffusion-governed hydrogel actuation

•A fibrous shellac network was prepared using an innovative centrifugal melt-spinning technique.•The shellac “floss” was implanted into a PNIPAm-alginate hydrogel and removed, leaving an interconnected porous network.•The porous network drastically improved actuation when compared to a non-porous equivalent: 85% compared to 45%.•The diffusion-governed swelling and de-swelling of hydrogel actuators was overcome through diffusion distance minimisation.