Water-Swelling and Self-Healing Synergistic Design Materials: Performance Optimization and Application Prospects

Materials with synergistic design of water-swelling and self-healing properties significantly enhance durability and environmental adaptability by integrating these two functionalities. This review summarizes key technologies in this field, including microencapsulation, dynamic network response, and multinetwork collaborative design. Water-swellable materials achieve remarkable volume expansion through their unique three-dimensional crosslinked network structure and hydrophilic groups, which enable efficient water absorption and retention. Self-healing materials, conversely, rely on dynamic covalent bonds or noncovalent interactions to restore structural integrity. The synergistic design leverages water-swellable properties to trigger or enhance self-healing mechanisms while maintaining material stability via dynamic chemical networks. Such materials exhibit enormous application potential in construction, electronics, marine engineering, and other fields. Future research ought to focus on forging a more harmonious balance between mechanical functionality and healing efficacy, as well as developing sustainable biobased materials to expand practical applications.