Anti-swelling and Mechanically Robust Composite Hydrogels in Aquatic Environments

Ze-Hang Du; Qing-Hua Wang; An-Qi Xiao; Piao-Piao Zhou; Xiao-Lin Lyu; Zhi-Gang Zou

doi:10.1007/s10118-026-3572-2

Your Location：

Home >

Browse articles >

Anti-swelling and Mechanically Robust Composite Hydrogels in Aquatic Environments

RESEARCH ARTICLE | Updated：2026-03-05

- Anti-swelling and Mechanically Robust Composite Hydrogels in Aquatic Environments
- Chinese Journal of Polymer Science Vol. 44, Pages: 1-8(2026)
- Affiliations：
  
  a.Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials Technologies, International (HongKong Macao and Taiwan) Joint Laboratory on Advanced Materials Technologies, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, China
  b.Chongqing Water & Environment Holdings Group, Ltd., Chongqing 401120, China
  c.Department of Lung Transplantation, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou 350001, China
  d.Key Laboratory of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350004, China
  e.Eco-materials and Renewable Energy Research Center, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
- Author bio：
  
  zhoupiaopiao@fjmu.edu.cn (P.P.Z.)
  lyuxiaolin@fzu.edu.cn (X.L.L.)
- Funds：
- DOI：10.1007/s10118-026-3572-2
  CLC：
- Received：30 December 2025，
  
  Accepted：12 January 2026，
  
  Online First：05 March 2026，
  
  Published：05 April 2026
- Accepted：
Scan QR Code
Du, Z. H.; Wang, Q. H.; Xiao, A. Q.; Zhou, P. P.; Lyu, X. L.; Zou, Z. G. Anti-swelling and mechanically robust composite hydrogels in aquatic environments. Chinese J. Polym. Sci. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10118-026-3572-2

Ze-Hang Du, Qing-Hua Wang, An-Qi Xiao, et al. Anti-swelling and Mechanically Robust Composite Hydrogels in Aquatic Environments[J/OL]. Chinese Journal of Polymer Science, 2026, 441-8.
Du, Z. H.; Wang, Q. H.; Xiao, A. Q.; Zhou, P. P.; Lyu, X. L.; Zou, Z. G. Anti-swelling and mechanically robust composite hydrogels in aquatic environments. Chinese J. Polym. Sci. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10118-026-3572-2 DOI：

Ze-Hang Du, Qing-Hua Wang, An-Qi Xiao, et al. Anti-swelling and Mechanically Robust Composite Hydrogels in Aquatic Environments[J/OL]. Chinese Journal of Polymer Science, 2026, 441-8. DOI： 10.1007/s10118-026-3572-2.

摘要

Abstract

Hydrogels are widely employed in various cutting-edge fields due to their excellent flexibility and tunability. However

hydrogels undergo significant swelling when immersed in seawater or other ionic solutions

leading to a severe decline in their performance. Herein

we develop a composite hydrogel (PAH) with anti-swelling capability in different solution environments

constructed through hydrogen bonding interactions between rigid aramid nanofibers (ANF) and flexible poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA). The dense three-dimensional skeleton within PAH not only dissipates energy to enhance its strength and toughness but also effectively inhibits water molecule penetration. Even after immersion in different ionic solutions

PAH maintains its structural integrity (equilibrium swelling ratio of only 0.1%)

while retaining excellent mechanical properties. This work provides a simple and effective strategy for improving the anti-swelling ability of hydrogels in different solutions

offering insights for broadening the application scope of hydrogels.

关键词

Keywords

references

Lyu, X.; Lin, Z.; Huang, C.; Zhang, X.; Lu, Y.; Luo, Z. Z.; Zhou, P.; Zou, Z. Tough and elastic hydrogel thermocells for heat energy utilization . Chem. Eng. J. 2024 , 493 , 152887..

Liu, W.; Fang, Y.; Lyu, X.; Peng, X.; Luo, Z. Z.; Zou, Z. Construction and application of thermogalvanic hydrogels. Soft Sci. 2024 , 4 , 44..

Lin, Z.; Hong, J.; Huang, C.; Zhang, X.; Shen, S.; Du, Z.; Zhou, P.; Miao, Y. B.; Lin, Z. H.; Lyu, X.; Zou, Z. A strong, tough, and high-efficiency hydrogel thermocell for thermal energy harvesting. Nano Energy 2025 , 138 , 110878..

Zhao, X.; Xu, H.; Liu, Z. T.; Li, G.; Jiang, J.; Liu, Z. W. Designable polypyrrole pattern in hydrogel achieved by photo-controllable concentration of fe(3+) initiator. Smart Mol. 2024 , 2 , e20240015..

Liu, N.; Ma, H.; Li, M.; Qin, R.; Li, P. Electroconductive hydrogels for bioelectronics: challenges and opportunities. FlexMat 2024 , 1 , 269−301..

Huang, L.; Tang, D.; Yang, Z. Flexible electronic materials and devices toward portable immunoassays. FlexMat 2024 , 1 , 59−78..

Qi, Y.; Zhang, S. Recent progress in low-swellable polymer-based smart photonic crystal sensors. Smart Mol. 2023 , 1 , e20230018..

Wang, X.; Liu, T.; Sun, F.; Zhang, J.; Yao, B.; Xu, J.; Fu, J. Highly tough, crack-resistant and self-healable piezo-ionic skin enabled by dynamic hard domains with mechanosensitive ionic channel. Smart Mol. 2024 , 2 , e20240008..

Li, X.; Ou, R.; Yuan, Z.; Lin, Y. Wearable biosensors based on molecularly imprinted polymers. FlexMat 2025 , 2 , 475−492..

Gong, Y.; Yu, L.; Lyu, X.; Zheng, S.; Yu, Y.; Zhou, P.; Luo, Z. Z.; Zou, Z. A mechanically robust, self-healing, and adhesive biomimetic camouflage ionic conductor for aquatic environments. Adv. Funct. Mater. 2023 , 33 , 2305314..

Ren, Z.; Guo, F.; Wen, Y.; Yang, Y.; Liu, J.; Cheng, S. Strong and anti-swelling nanofibrous hydrogel composites inspired by biological tissue for amphibious motion sensors. Mater. Horiz. 2024 , 11 , 5600−5613..

Kulbay, M.; Wu, K. Y.; Truong, D.; Tran, S. D. Smart molecules in ophthalmology: hydrogels as responsive systems for ophthalmic applications. Smart Mol. 2024 , 2 , e20230021..

Chen, J.; Liu, Y.; Wang, D.; Zhi, H.; Tang, J.; Shen, A.; Li, N.; Zhang, Y.; Liu, H.; Xue, G. Wood vessel-confined anti-swelling hydrogel for efficient osmotic energy conversion. Nano Energy 2022 , 104 , 107981..

Ding, Y. R.; Wang, Y. F.; Zhang, H. J.; Jia, Z.; Wang, J. J. Fabrication of superhydrophobic electron-conducting hydrogel e-skin with linear sensitivity for underwater monitoring. Chem. Eng. J. 2025 , 520 , 166249..

Li, X.; Shi, J.; Kong, C.; Li, C.; Wang, H.; Jiang, S.; Li, Y. Photoinitiator-grafted polymer coating enable various hydrogels with strong resistance to both drying and swelling. Chem. Eng. J. 2024 , 480 , 147937..

Yuan, H.; Zhu, T.; Huang, Y.; Wang, Z.; Han, P.; Tan, L.; Wu, J.; Chen, X.; Yao, P.; Zhu, C.; Xu, J. Hydrophobic and adhesive elastomer encapsulation for anti-drying, non-swelling, and adhesive hydrogels. Adv. Funct. Mater. 2024 , 34 , 2409703..

Di, X.; Hou, J.; Yang, M.; Wu, G.; Sun, P. A bio-inspired, ultra-tough, high-sensitivity, and anti-swelling conductive hydrogel strain sensor for motion detection and information transmission. Mater. Horiz. 2022 , 9 , 3057−3069..

Guan, X.; Liu, H.; Zhao, Z.; Guo, Y.; Kang, W.; Sun, J.; Jin, Z.; Ren, H.; Gao, Z. Preparation of environmental resistance and anti-swelling hydrogel through solvent displacement for monitoring human health and movement in amphibious environment. Chem. Eng. J. 2025 , 505 , 159838..

Li, M.; Lu, H.; Pi, M.; Zhou, H.; Wang, Y.; Yan, B.; Cui, W.; Ran, R. Water-induced phase separation for anti-swelling hydrogel adhesives in underwater soft electronics. Adv. Sci. 2023 , 10 , 2304780..

Pi, M.; Qin, S.; Wen, S.; Wang, Z.; Wang, X.; Li, M.; Lu, H.; Meng, Q.; Cui, W.; Ran, R. Rapid gelation of tough and anti-swelling hydrogels under mild conditions for underwater communication. Adv. Funct. Mater. 2022 , 33 , 2210188..

Ren, J.; Liu, Y.; Wang, Z.; Chen, S.; Ma, Y.; Wei, H.; Lü, S. An anti-swellable hydrogel strain sensor for underwater motion detection. Adv. Funct. Mater. 2021 , 32 , 2107404..

Zhang, M.; Yang, Y.; Li, M.; Shang, Q.; Xie, R.; Yu, J.; Shen, K.; Zhang, Y.; Cheng, Y. Toughening double-network hydrogels by polyelectrolytes. Adv. Mater. 2023 , 35 , 2301551..

Zhang, X.; Lin, Y.; Shen, S.; Du, Z.; Lin, Z.; Zhou, P.; Huang, H.; Lyu, X.; Zou, Z. Intrinsic anti-freezing, tough, and transparent hydrogels for smart optical and multi-modal sensing applications. Adv. Mater. 2025 , 37 , 2413856..

[Baig, M. M.; Khan, S. A.; Ahmad, H.; Liang, J.; Zhu, G.; Pang, H.; Zhang, Y. 3d printing of hydrogels for flexible micro-supercapacitors. FlexMat 2024 , 1 , 79−99..

Liu, W.; Xu, C.; Xie, W.; Ye, J.; Zhu, Z.; Lin, Z.; Chen, H. A switchable multifunctional artificial neuron with rate coding and time-to-first-spike coding for accurate image recognition. FlexMat 2025 , 2 , 153−164..

Li, S.; Zhi, L.; Chen, Q.; Zhao, W.; Zhao, C. Reversibly adhesive, anti-swelling, and antibacterial hydrogels f or tooth-extraction wound healing. Adv. Healthc. Mater. 2024 , 13 , 2400089..

Wu, R.; Zhu, T.; Ni, Y.; Wu, C.; Wang, W.; Zhao, K.; Huang, J.; Lai, Y. UV-cured dense double network hydrogel via multiple dynamic crosslinking for stable amphibious motion sensing. Adv. Funct. Mater. 2026 , 36 , e15120..

Zou, M.; Zeng, Y.; Wang, X.; Liu, S.; Ye, Q.; Zhou, F. Preparation of nanocomposite hydrogels based on zwitterionic polymer functionalized mxene nanosheets for antifouling application. Carbon 2025 , 243 , 120590..

Jiao, Z.; Gao, W.; Wang, L.; Wei, Y.; Guo, H.; Yuan, X.; Zhao, J. Mechanically adaptable and highly anti-swelling hydrogel enabled by competitive and synergistic ion training for motion monitoring and underwater encryption. Chem. Eng. J. 2025 , 519 , 164953..

Lan, Z.; Wang, Y.; Hu, K.; Shi, S.; Meng, Q.; Sun, Q.; Shen, X. Anti-swellable cellulose hydrogel for underwater sensing. Carbohydr. Polym. 2023 , 306 , 120541..

Lei, T.; Duan, X.; Zhao, H.; Ma, S.; Ma, X.; Wang, N.; Z hang, Q.; Wan, A.; Xia, Z.; Shou, W.; Fan, J. A multifunctional flexible wearable hydrogel sensor with anti-swelling via supramolecular interactions for underwater motion detection and information transmission. Chem. Eng. J. 2025 , 504 , 158700..

Li, K. Y.; Yang, D. H.; Liu, C.; Jiang, W.; Liu, Y.; Yang, H. Y.; Wang, B.; Fu, Y. Mxene/cellulose conductive hydrogel with stretchability, anti-swelling, antibacteriality and environmental adaptability for wearable flexible strain sensors in human behavior monitoring. Int. J. Biol. Macromol. 2025 , 329 , 147784..

Sun, Z.; Dong, C.; Chen, B.; Li, W.; Hu, H.; Zhou, J.; Li, C.; Huang, Z. Strong, tough, and anti-swelling supramolecular conductive hydrogels for amphibious motion sensors. Small 2023 , 19 , 2303612..

Wei, Z.; Jia, L.; Yu, J.; Xu, H.; Guo, X.; Xiang, T.; Zhou, S. Environmentally tolerant multifunctional eutectogel for highly sensitive wearable sensors. Mater. Horiz. 2025 , 12 , 2604−2618..

Du, Z.; Shen, S.; Su, X.; Zhuang, Y.; Chen, M.; Zhang, X.; Lin, Z.; Yu, L.; Zhou, P.; Wu, M.; Lyu, X.; Zou, Z. A robust and tough composite hydrogel electrolyte with anion-locked supramolecular network for zinc ion batteries. Adv. Mater. 2025 , 37 , 2502328..

Views

Downloads

CSCD

Alert me when the article has been cited

Submit

Tools

Publicity Resources

Fe³⁺-coordinated Dual-crosslinked Conjugated Polymer Hydrogels with Ultrahigh Evaporation Rate for Efficient Desalination and Sustainable Agriculture

Robust Skin-adaptable Bioelectronics with Self-adhesive Polysaccharide Hydrogel Conductors for Multimodal Physiological Signal Acquisition

Anti-swelling Zwitterionic Gels with High Stretchability, Conductivity for Wireless Underwater Strain Sensing

Strong and Tough Composite Hydrogels with Crack-deflecting Ability Enabled by a Viscoelastoplastic Mixing Strategy

Related Author

Zheng Li

Mu-Tian Yao

Zi-Yang Qiu

Jing-Kun Xu

Bao-Yang Lu

Shan Xia

Lei Yang

Ming Wang

Related Institution

Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Flexible Electronics, Flexible Electronics Innovation Institute, Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University

School of Water Resources & Environmental Engineering, East China University of Technology

Institute of Energy Materials and Nanotechnology, Nanchang Jiaotong Institute

Polymeric and Soft Materials Laboratory, School of Chemical Engineering and Advanced Institute of Materials Science, Changchun University of Technology

College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology

⁰