Next-generation thermo-responsive materials: From hydrogels for biomedical applications to smart membranes for separation technologies

Thermo-responsive membranes and hydrogels have gained significant attention for their multifunctional applications in tissue engineering, wound healing, controlled drug delivery, and filtration systems. These smart membranes and hydrogels respond to temperature changes, offering advantages such as self-cleaning properties, antifouling capabilities, and precise control of drug release through reversible swelling-deswelling and pore gating mechanisms. In biomedical applications, thermo-responsive membranes and hydrogels enhance patient care by accelerating wound healing, minimising infection risks, and reducing the frequency of interventions. Multiple reports in the literature have demonstrated that temperature-triggered hydrogels show 3 to 5 times higher drug release efficiency compared to non-responsive carriers. In water treatment, self-cleaning and antifouling features of thermo-responsive membranes have significantly reduced maintenance costs and enhance filtration efficiency by up to 99% flux recovery rate and more than 125% flux improvement in reported systems. This paper, in comparison with previous studies, explores the cost-saving potential and technological advantages of thermo-responsive membranes and hydrogels across diverse application sectors. It also examines industrial constraints such as energy demand, solvent systems, and cycling durability of these membranes and hydrogels to provide a deeper understanding of the behaviour of thermo-responsive materials in different operational environments. Unlike earlier reviews, membrane performance analysis was also integrated at critical transition points (flux, recovery ratio, release efficiency) and fabrication methods were linked to application-specific outcomes. Furthermore, these membranes and hydrogels have shown clear opportunities for future research and industrial implementation, particularly in reducing material and labour costs in healthcare and lowering operational expenses in filtration systems. The integration of these membranes and hydrogels with bioelectronics and smart systems, will likely further expand their utility and market viability in the coming years.