Two-Dimensional and Three-Dimensional Ultrathin Multilayer Hydrogels through Layer-by-Layer Assembly

Stimuli-responsive multilayer hydrogels have opened new opportunities to design hierarchically organized networks with properties controlled at the nanoscale. These multilayer materials integrate structural, morphological, and compositional versatility provided by alternating layer-by-layer polymer deposition with the capability for dramatic and reversible changes in volumes upon environmental triggers, a characteristic of chemically cross-linked responsive networks. Despite their intriguing potential, there has been limited knowledge about the structure-property relationships of multilayer hydrogels, partly because of the challenges in regulating network structural organization and the limited set of the instrumental pool to resolve structure and properties at nanometer spatial resolution. This Feature Article highlights our recent studies on advancing assembly technologies, fundamentals, and applications of multilayer hydrogels. The fundamental relationships among synthetic strategies, chemical compositions, and hydrogel architectures are discussed, and their impacts on stimuli-induced volume changes, morphology, and mechanical responses are presented. We present an overview of our studies on thin multilayer hydrogel coatings, focusing on controlling and quantifying the degree of layer intermixing, which are crucial issues in the design of hydrogels with predictable properties. We also uncover the behavior of stratified "multicompartment" hydrogels in response to changes in pH and temperature. We summarize the mechanical responses of free-standing multilayer hydrogels, including planar thin coatings and films with closed geometries such as hollow microcapsules and nonhollow hydrogel microparticles with spherical and nonspherical shapes. Finally, we will showcase potential applications of pH- and temperature-sensitive multilayer hydrogels in sensing and drug delivery. The knowledge about multilayer hydrogels can advance the rational design of polymer networks with predictable and well-tunable properties, contributing to modern polymer science and broadening hydrogel applications.