Engineering Hydrogel-based Self-floating Catalytic Materials for Interfacial Solar-driven Chemistry

Jia-Xin Gao; Wen-Wei Lei

doi:10.1007/s10118-026-3578-9

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Engineering Hydrogel-based Self-floating Catalytic Materials for Interfacial Solar-driven Chemistry

Special Topic: Functional Gels | Updated：2026-05-30

- Engineering Hydrogel-based Self-floating Catalytic Materials for Interfacial Solar-driven Chemistry
- Chinese Journal of Polymer Science Vol. 44, Issue 6, Pages: 1695-1715(2026)
- Affiliations：
  
  School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology, Hebei Key Laboratory of Nanobiotechnology, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, China
- Author bio：
  
  leiww@ysu.edu.cn
- Funds：
- DOI：10.1007/s10118-026-3578-9
  CLC：
- Received：29 December 2025，
  
  Accepted：14 January 2026，
  
  Online First：12 May 2026，
  
  Published：05 June 2026
- Accepted：
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Gao, J. X.; Lei, W. W. Engineering hydrogel-based self-floating catalytic materials for interfacial solar-driven chemistry. Chinese J. Polym. Sci. 2026, 44, 1695–1715

Jia-Xin Gao, Wen-Wei Lei. Engineering Hydrogel-based Self-floating Catalytic Materials for Interfacial Solar-driven Chemistry[J]. Chinese Journal of Polymer Science, 2026, 44(6): 1695-1715.
Gao, J. X.; Lei, W. W. Engineering hydrogel-based self-floating catalytic materials for interfacial solar-driven chemistry. Chinese J. Polym. Sci. 2026, 44, 1695–1715 DOI： 10.1007/s10118-026-3578-9.

Jia-Xin Gao, Wen-Wei Lei. Engineering Hydrogel-based Self-floating Catalytic Materials for Interfacial Solar-driven Chemistry[J]. Chinese Journal of Polymer Science, 2026, 44(6): 1695-1715. DOI： 10.1007/s10118-026-3578-9.

摘要

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.

Abstract

Hydrogel-based self-floating catalytic materials have become a key interfacial platform in the field of solar-driven chemistry

effectively solving the difficulties of traditional powder catalysts in the aqueous phase

such as easy agglomeration

sedimentation

and limited mass transfer. In this study

the design strategy

structural properties

and interfacial advantages of these materials were systematically described

and the mechanisms of precursor mixing

in situ

synthesis

and post-modification in regulating the distribution of active sites

gel structure formation

and multifunctional integration were analyzed. Through the construction of stable three-phase interfaces

the materials form a reaction microenvironment with a generalized enhancement effect. The structural design significantly improves the light trapping efficiency and carrier separation performance in photocatalytic processes and simultaneously strengthens the mass transfer process and local reactant concentration in peroxide activation reactions

establishing a synergistic system in which the adsorption

enrichment

and catalytic processes are tightly coupled. Successful applications in the fields of organic pollutant degradation

solar-driven chemical synthesis

and interfacial evaporation have demonstrated the wide applicability of this technology. By systematically combining the research progress in this field

this study aims to provide a theoretical basis for the development of efficient and stable interfacial catalytic platforms and promote the development of sustainable environmental remediation and energy conversion technologies.

关键词

Keywords

references

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