Light scattering is a powerful technique for characterizing the elasticity, microstructures and dynamics of various functional hydrogels. The average bond binding energy and lifetime of the physical crosslinks in gel networks can also be extracted from dynamic light scattering characterization results.

This review summarizes the unique microphase separation phenomena in ionogels, driven by the distinct physicochemical properties of ionic liquids (ILs). It highlights how these specific phase-separation mechanisms and tailored microstructures, enabled by ILs, lead to advanced functionalities not typically achievable in conventional hydrogels or organogels.

This review elucidates the anti-biofouling mechanisms of hydrogels, with a focus on surface hydration interactions—specifically hydrogen bonding and ion solvation—and categorizes the hydrogels based on these mechanisms. It also underscores their biomedical applications, including vitreous substitutes, anti-adhesion barriers, diabetic wound dressings, and device coatings, offering design insights for durable, biocompatible interfaces.

Composite structure of viscous fluids and elastic skeletons in biological tissues inspired designs of high energy dissipation gels by viscoelastic regulation of networks and confined chains. This work summarized progress of damping gels from perspective of network structure, which will promote development of damping polymers towards extreme conditions.

In addition to their inherent properties, ionogels can acquire additional functionalities (e.g., self-healing, shape memory, and luminescence) through rational structural design and the introduction of functional additives. These functional ionogels have great potential in applications such as energy storage devices, wearable sensors, biomedicine, and electrochromic devices, etc.

Direct-ink-writing 3D printing provides a versatile platform for fabricating advancedhydrogel bioelectronics. This review outlines recent advances, beginning with hydrogel ink design that balances printability and functionality through rheology, conductivity, adhesion, and biocompatibility. It subsequently emphasizes their application in state-of-the-art bioelectronics, highlighting their advantages in electrophysiological recording, stimulation, andbiosensing.

This review covers four ion-conductive soft polymer devices-ion-gated transistors (IGTs), electrochemical random-access memory cells (ECRAMs), nanofluidic memristors, and soft ion synapses-highlighting their mechanisms, challenges, and integration potential for biomimetic synaptic plasticity.

This review highlights hydrogel-based self-floating catalysts as innovative interfacial platforms for solar-driven chemistry. By establishing stable three-phase interfaces, these materials overcome traditional mass-transfer limitations and catalyst agglomeration. We analyze core construction strategies and demonstrate their versatile applications in pollutant degradation, hydrogen production, and desalination.

Programming built-in twist (Tw) in hydrogel rings generates distinct configurations with specific stress distributions, enabling multiple self-sustained motion modes: coupled rolling and spinning, irregular tumbling, and stable rolling. This work demonstrates that internal stress programming provides a versatile strategy for achieving diverse locomotion within a single soft material system.

This work presents a hierarchical hydrogel that combines optical transparency and acoustic damping capacity. The hydrogel features a dual-scale bicontinuous nanostructure comprising three intertwined phases: hydrophilic, hydrophobic, and aqueous. This architecture enables acoustic impedance matching with water, strong vibrational damping, and ultrahigh absorption of sound.

This study proposes a strategy to fabricate strong and tough double-network hydrogels through multiple freeze-thaw cycles. Network densification endows hydrogels with exceptional mechanical performance. Moreover, the hydrogel possessed a high water content (up to 95%) and excellent biocompatibility.

A hydrogel film based on the synergistic interaction of hydrophilic and hydrophobic side chains was successfully developed and achieved reversible stiffness changes spanning four orders of magnitude via the formation and dissociation of water-induced phase separation.

This study develops a micro-rheology method using gold nanorods as probes monitored via depolarized dynamic light scattering. It enables fast, accurate viscoelasticity measurements across diverse soft materials, from polymer solutions to biological fluids.

A tough and notch-insensitive conductive hydrogel is developed by introducing L-arginine-regulated polyoxometalate nano-crosslinking domains. The hydrogel exhibits high stretchability, robust ionic conductivity, and sensitive strain sensing, enabling stable electrocardiogram (ECG) and electromyography (EMG) signal monitoring for wearable bioelectronics.

This study presents a flexible hydrogel-based posture recognition system capable of accurately identifying nine distinct human postures. By integrating thermoelectric sensing with artificial intelligence algorithms, the system achieved a recognition accuracy of 96.82%. The real-time dynamic visualization of posture data was enabled using a custom-developed visualization platform.

Nonlinear softening factor h_eff of hydrophobically modified ethoxylated urethane (HEUR)-aq. solutions at long times, defined with respect to short-time hardened state, is considerably well described by a simple model formulating strain-induced HEUR micelle fusion followed by micelle opening/splitting associated with a free energy increase $ \langle \Delta F/k_{\mathrm{B}} T \rangle $ under strain.

A dual dynamic in situ gel rapidly forms within the ocular clearance window and conforms during blinking, reducing drug loss while improving ocular retention and bioavailability.

Aza-COF-1L with dense pyrazine redox sites was synthesized via a fast light-assisted method. It exhibits high capacity and stability as a superior cathode for zinc-ion batteries.

The microphase-separated poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/conductive carbon black (CCB) interlocking hydrogel enables low-hysteresis, high-stability strain sensing for precise motion and gesture monitoring, and, through machine-learning analysis of continuous signals, supports intelligent human-machine interaction.

A real-time approach quantifies polyol, water, and apparent isocyanate conversions in high ―NCO polyurethane grouts by ATR-FTIR (carbamate C―O) and LiDAR volume tracking, revealing three-stage kinetics with faster foaming than gelation.

This study develops lead-free low-density polyethylene (LDPE) nanocomposites reinforced with MgFe₂O₄ nanoparticles, offering promising eco-friendly solutions for gamma-ray shielding, especially under irradiation conditions.

The diagram presents two scenarios: the material undergoes ceramization at high temperatures to achieve flame retardancy and heat insulation, while retaining heat at low temperatures to reduce heat loss, demonstrating its excellent flame-retardant, heat-insulating, and thermal preservation properties.

Hydrogen-bond regulation via hydrophobic nano-silica suppresses shoulder peak effects, stabilizes conductive networks, and enables highly sensitive, wide-range, and durable resistive strain sensing in conductive elastomer composites.

P84 polyimide cuff tubes fabricated via dry-jet wet-spinning exhibit enhanced mechanical properties after heat treatment and 90-day in vivo vascular patency and biosafety.

This work investigates the reinforcing effects of ionic liquid monomer, linear and branched poly(ionic liquids) on poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC). Linear poly(ionic liquids) exhibit the best strength and toughness, which are significantly superior to dioctyl phthalate (DOP).

Shear flow and the addition of poly(1,4-butylene succinate) (PBSU) synergistically enhance γ-phase crystallization in poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF). Shear flow promotes γ-phase nucleation by orienting the polymer chains, while PBSU facilitates subsequent crystal growth.

Green-synthesized ZnCoS nanoparticles enhance interfacial polarization, thermal stability, and shape-memory recovery in poly(lactic acid)/polyaniline (PLA/PANI) nanocomposites, demonstrating structure-property correlations governed by nanoparticle loading.