Zwitterionic Polymers: Structure Design and Emerging Applications

Zwitterionic polymers containing an equal amount of positive and negative charges in the repeating units exhibit outstanding advantages in superhydrophilicity and therefore have potential applications in the field of biomedical materials, resource & energy devices, and so on. This review provides a comprehensive survey on the recent progress on zwitterionic polymers in terms of structure design, properties, and emerging applications. The typical cases of zwitterionic polymeric structures and their properties are analyzed and summarized, including polybetaines, poly(ylides), amino acid-derived polyampholytes, and unconventional structures. Their promising applications in the biomedical field (e.g., bone regeneration, tumor penetration, and cell cryopreservation) and in the resource & energy field (e.g., solar evaporator, atmospheric water harvester, and triboelectric nanogenerator) are highlighted. Furthermore, current challenges and future prospects of zwitterionic polymers are discussed. This review serves as a significant reference for the development of novel zwitterionic polymers and the expansion of new applications.