Crystal hydrogels: Strategies, properties, and applications

IF 8.9 1区化学 Q1 CHEMISTRY, MULTIDISCIPLINARY

Chinese Chemical Letters Pub Date : 2026-05-01 Epub Date: 2025-08-11 DOI:10.1016/j.cclet.2025.111707

Qianwei Liu , Xinhong Xiong , Numan Ahmed , Peisong Tang , Jiaxi Cui

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Abstract

Hydrogels, soft materials made from polymer networks capable of absorbing water, demonstrate remarkable compatibility in diverse hybridizations. When the fillers that can undergo reversible crystallization are used for incorporation, the materials’ mechanical properties and functions would be significantly improved. Therefore, these hydrogels, named crystal hydrogels, are emerging as a class of new advanced functional materials. This review offers a comprehensive examination of these materials from five distinct angles. We first discuss their fundamental characteristics and then elaborate on the synthesis methods of crystal hydrogels, categorizing them into three types based on their crystal formation mechanisms. The third section is dedicated to describing the properties of crystal hydrogels. Furthermore, we explore the diverse and remarkable applications that have emerged with the advancement of crystal hydrogels. The review concludes by summarizing the core concepts and assessing the recent opportunities and challenges faced by crystal hydrogels.

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晶体水凝胶：策略、性质和应用

水凝胶是由能够吸水的聚合物网络制成的柔软材料，在各种杂化中表现出卓越的相容性。采用可可逆结晶的填料掺入，可显著提高材料的力学性能和功能。因此，这些被称为晶体水凝胶的水凝胶作为一类新型的高级功能材料正在兴起。这篇综述从五个不同的角度对这些材料进行了全面的考察。我们首先讨论了它们的基本特征，然后阐述了晶体水凝胶的合成方法，并根据它们的晶体形成机制将它们分为三种类型。第三部分专门描述晶体水凝胶的性质。此外，我们还探讨了随着晶体水凝胶的发展而出现的各种显着应用。总结了晶体水凝胶研究的核心概念，并对晶体水凝胶研究面临的机遇和挑战进行了评估。

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来源期刊

Chinese Chemical Letters 化学-化学综合

CiteScore

14.10

自引率

15.40%

发文量

8969

审稿时长

1.6 months

期刊介绍： Chinese Chemical Letters (CCL) (ISSN 1001-8417) was founded in July 1990. The journal publishes preliminary accounts in the whole field of chemistry, including inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, analytical chemistry, physical chemistry, polymer chemistry, applied chemistry, etc.Chinese Chemical Letters does not accept articles previously published or scheduled to be published. To verify originality, your article may be checked by the originality detection service CrossCheck.