Graphdiyne-based molecular active materials and devices for emerging smart applications

Graphdiyne (GDY), as a novel two-dimensional carbon material, showcases immense potential in the field of smart materials due to its intrinsic properties and microstructure. Unlike conventional smart materials, GDY exhibits stimulus-responsive behaviors without the need for external chemical modifications, dopants, or composite materials. Its unique sp/sp² hybridized carbon framework, porous structure, and abundance of highly reactive acetylenic linkages, enable this material to directly interact with environmental stimuli and exhibit superior performance across a variety of applications, including muscle-like actuators, wearable sensors, optoelectronic adaptive regulation, low-grade energy harvesting, and cutting-edge biomedical applications. As a new type of smart material, the application potential of GDY in many frontier fields still needs to be fully explored and exploited. The review provides a timely and comprehensive overview of the state-of-the-art in GDY-based smart materials and applications, emphasizing its unique molecular-scale activity and key challenges in synthesis, scalability, stability, and sensitivity. We believe that this article will provide very valuable insights into technological innovation and collaboration in the field of new material and artificial intelligence.