Anisotropic Anti-Swelling Hydrogels with Hydrophobic Association and Metal–Ligand Cross-Links for Applications in Underwater Strain Sensing and Anisotropic Actuation

cross-links contributed to enhancing the tensile strength and stiffness of these anisotropic hydrogels. The hydrogel materials demonstrated anisotropic resistive strain sensing and anisotropic actuation behavior. These anisotropic swelling-resistant hydrogels also showed capability for stable and repetitive underwater strain sensing, which may have potential applications in underwater human motion sensing and soft robotics application.