Mechanoresponsive Hydrogels Emerging from Dynamic and Non-Covalent Interactions

Mechanoresponsive hydrogels undergo changes in their physical and chemical properties in response to mechanical stimuli such as strain, force, or shear stress. These responses are often mediated by dynamic or non-covalent intermolecular interactions. Unlike covalent bonds, which confer desirable mechanical strength but result in static networks, dynamic crosslinking motifs introduce reversibility that enables mechanically actuatable behaviors such as self-healing, shear-thinning or -thickening, and strain-stiffening. This review highlights these four distinct mechanoresponsive behaviors in dynamic hydrogels, examining their underlying mechanisms, characterization methods, and emerging applications, with a focus on the critical role of dynamic interactions in enabling their mechanoresponsive properties.