Intrinsic Anti‐Freezing, Tough, and Transparent Hydrogels for Smart Optical and Multi‐Modal Sensing Applications

Hydrogels have received great attention due to their molecular designability and wide application range. However, they are prone to freeze at low temperatures due to the existence of mass water molecules, which can damage their flexibility and transparency, greatly limiting their use in cold environments. Although adding cryoprotectants can reduce the freezing point of hydrogels, it may also deteriorate the mechanical properties and face the risk of cryoprotectant leakage. Herein, the microphase-separated structures of hydrogels are regulated to confine water molecules in sub-6 nm nanochannels and increase the proportion of bound water, endowing the hydrogels with intrinsic anti-freezing properties, high…

• NN
  National Natural Science Foundation of China

  Award: 22203015
• NK
  National Key Research and Development Program of China

  Award: 2020YFA0710303
• FP
  Fujian Provincial Health Technology Project

  Award: 2024QNA016
• FS
  Fujian Science and Technology Innovation Laboratory for Optoelectronic Information of China

  Award: 2021ZZ127