The National Science Foundation Division of Materials Research awarded The University of Texas at San Antonio $352,892 on October 1, 2025, to develop and engineer fully polymeric hydrogels with intrinsic antifreezing properties and enhanced mechanical strength under subzero temperatures, eliminating the need for antifreeze additives in hydrogel formulations.
The research aims to gain fundamental understanding of antifreezing and toughening mechanisms across atomic to macroscopic spatial and time scales through combined experimental and computational approaches. Successful outcomes would enable a new family of antifreezing hydrogels for applications including flexible supercapacitors, soft robotics, electronic skin, and wearable devices. The project incorporates educational components for undergraduate and graduate students and high school teachers in polymer chemistry and physics, molecular simulations, and engineering design, with curriculum enhancements and student outreach through international conferences and STEM activities.
The award is classified as a Project Grant under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049). Performance occurs at UTSA's San Antonio, Texas campus with a period of performance from October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2026.