Zhang Dong, Chen Hong, Zhang Yanxian, Yang Jintao, Chen Qiang, Wu Jiang, Liu Yonglan, Zhao Chao, Tang Yijing, Zheng Jie
The Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, USA.
College of Polymer Science and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China.
Chem Soc Rev. 2025 Jun 3;54(11):5292-5341. doi: 10.1039/d4cs00718b.
Antifreezing hydrogels have emerged as an innovative solution for maintaining functional performance and mechanical integrity in subzero environments, offering a robust alternative to traditional water-free antifreezing materials that often fail under wet and cold conditions. These water-rich hydrogels leverage their porous, crosslinked, polymeric networks, which serve as the structural basis for implementing two parallel strategies: the incorporation of antifreezing additives (peptides/proteins, salts, ionic liquids, and organics) and the meticulous engineering of polymer systems and network structures for manipulating the water-ice phase equilibrium to significantly enhance antifreezing properties. This review synthesizes recent findings to provide a fundamental overview of the important advancements in antifreezing hydrogels, focusing on their designs, mechanisms, performances, and functional applications. Various types of antifreezing hydrogels have been developed, utilizing strategies like the incorporation of antifreeze agents, use of strongly water-bound polymers, and design of highly crosslinked networks to illustrate different antifreezing mechanisms: freezing point depression, ice recrystallization inhibition, and network freezing inhibition. This review also explores the diverse functions of antifreezing hydrogels in biomedical devices, soft robotics, flexible electronics, food industry, and environmental engineering. Finally, this review concludes with future directions, emphasizing the potential of integrating machine learning and advanced molecular simulations into materials design. This strategic vision is aimed at promoting continuous innovation and progress in the rapidly evolving field of antifreezing hydrogels.
抗冻水凝胶已成为一种创新解决方案，用于在零下环境中维持功能性能和机械完整性，为传统的无水抗冻材料提供了一种强大的替代方案，后者在潮湿寒冷条件下往往会失效。这些富含水的水凝胶利用其多孔、交联的聚合物网络，作为实施两种并行策略的结构基础：加入抗冻添加剂（肽/蛋白质、盐、离子液体和有机物），以及对聚合物体系和网络结构进行精心设计，以调控水 - 冰相平衡，从而显著提高抗冻性能。本综述综合了近期的研究成果，对抗冻水凝胶的重要进展进行了基本概述，重点关注其设计、机理、性能和功能应用。已开发出各种类型的抗冻水凝胶，采用了诸如加入抗冻剂、使用强水结合聚合物以及设计高度交联网络等策略，以阐明不同的抗冻机制：冰点降低、冰重结晶抑制和网络冻结抑制。本综述还探讨了抗冻水凝胶在生物医学设备、软机器人技术、柔性电子、食品工业和环境工程中的多种功能。最后，本综述以未来发展方向作为结语，强调了将机器学习和先进分子模拟整合到材料设计中的潜力。这一战略愿景旨在推动抗冻水凝胶快速发展领域的持续创新和进步。
