Preparation, Properties, and Applications of Eutectogels

Gel materials can be prepared from a variety of solvents, such as water, organic solvents, and ionic liquids (ILs). Recently, the deep eutectic solvents (DESs) are more broadly used in terms of “green” and multiperformance. Eutectogels can be formed by specific interactions between single or multiple DESs and gel factors. As a new type of gel materials with broad application prospects, such as in functional soft materials, sensors, energy storage, and biomedical fields, eutectogels have attracted considerable attention from the scientific community in recent years. This article systematically reviews the current research status of eutectogels. The preparation methods of DESs and eutectogels and the properties of eutectogels are described. Eutectogels’ excellent properties, including good thermal stability, mechanical strength, ionic conductivity, sensing properties, and biocompatibility, are highlighted. In addition, this review analyzes the applications of eutectogels in smart sensors, electrolyte materials, adsorbent materials, drug delivery, and wound dressings. Finally, the future research direction of eutectogels is envisioned, and suggestions are made to further optimize the properties starting from DESs, to expand the application areas, and to strengthen the basic theoretical research.