Supramolecularly Crosslinked Self‐Healable Polymer Hydrogels for Adaptive Energy Dissipation and Fragile‐System Protection

ABSTRACT

Hydrogels with rapid mechanical energy‐dissipation capability are highly desirable for protective and shock‐absorbing applications. However, conventional systems often suffer from irreversible network damage, slow recovery, and mechanical fatigue. Herein, we report a biodegradable supramolecularly crosslinked polymer hydrogel ( AGK ) engineered through the synergistic integration of boronate ester covalent networks and G4‐quartet supramolecular assemblies. The coupled covalent–supramolecular interactions promote reversible network dissociation and adaptive molecular reorganization under mechanical stress, enabling rapid self‐healing, enhanced structural integrity, and efficient energy dissipation. The AGK hydrogel withstands compressive loads up to ∼5.4 kg, significantly outperforming the pristine biopolymer hydrogel (∼2.9 kg). Dynamic impact analyses reveal a remarkably low coefficient of restitution (∼0.21), substantially lower than those of conventional polymeric materials, demonstrating superior impact attenuation and rapid mechanical energy dissipation. Consequently, the hydrogel effectively protects fragile objects from both static compression and free‐fall impact damage while maintaining mechanical resilience over repeated damage–recovery cycles. This work establishes a sustainable supramolecular engineering strategy for designing adaptive self‐healable hydrogels with efficient energy‐dissipation capability, offering promising opportunities for advanced protective, impact‐mitigating, and mechanically adaptive soft materials.