Abstract: Bound water plays a pivotal role in maintaining biomacromolecular structures and facilitating their specific functions through mechanisms such as hydrogen-bond anchoring and hydrophobic association. Inspired by these natural phenomena, researchers have incorporated bound water as a functional structural unit into polymer networks through biomimetic design and molecular engineering. This innovative approach overcomes the conventional limitation of “water-induced softening” and instead utilizes water molecules to regulate material mechanical properties, enabling the fabrication of polymer materials with high toughness, environmental adaptability, and energy dissipation capabilities. This review systematically summarizes recent advances in polymer performance modulation through the introduction of bound water into polymer networks and the manipulation of interactions between bound water and polymeric structural elements.

Key words: Bound water, Hydrogen bonding, Polymers, Mechanical property