Dynamic Supercooled Crystal–Gels for Ultrafast, Reversible Mechanical Adaptative Materials

ABSTRACT

Endowing synthetic materials with adaptability and responsiveness to dynamically optimize their states represents a premier frontier in biomimetic science. However, achieving life‐like, rapid yet reversible adaptation under benign triggers remains hindered by high reconfiguration energy or delayed structural recovery. In this work, we present dynamic supercooled crystal‐gels that achieve ultrafast, reversible stiffening without requiring continuous energy input. Inspired by the tactile‐triggered stiffening of starfish tissues, it utilizes non‐equilibrium energy of internal supercooled liquid to realize templated crystallization upon a benign tactile stimulus trigger. Meanwhile, the crystalline structure is reversible under appropriate temperature and humidity perturbations. This synchronously achieves a 2596‐fold adjustment in compressive modulus, circumventing the conventional trade‐off between energy demands for mechanical reinforcement and structural stability. As a functional validation, microneedles based on supercooled crystal‐gels fulfill the divergent requirements for skin adaptation and seconds‐scale drug release through their mechanical adaptation, achieving rapid cumulative drug release of ≈37.76% at 10 s and 88.12% within 5 min. This work delineates a strategy for endowing materials with autonomous mechanical adaptation and opens new opportunities for life‐like functional evolution in soft robotics and bio‐integrated electronics.