Freezing-Induced Ice–Polymer Structuring Enables Tough, Additive-Free Hydrogels Under Extreme Cold Conditions

Key Points

• The research aims to develop hydrogels that maintain strength and flexibility at subzero temperatures for various applications.
• Introduced a novel ice-polymer structuring technique
• Tested mechanical properties of hydrogels at subzero temperatures
• Evaluated performance in bioengineering and robotics contexts
• Hydrogels exhibited significant mechanical robustness under cold conditions
• No additives were needed to achieve desired toughness
• Performance surpassed existing hydrogel options in low-temperature scenarios