Bioinspired ultrafast hydration-strengthened electrospun bead-on-string fibrous film.

High-performance superabsorbent materials are highly desirable for healthcare, personal care, and protective water management applications. Unfortunately, reconciling ultrafast water uptake with robust mechanical stability after hydration while retaining sufficient absorption capacity remains a challenge. Herein, inspired by hagfish slime and spider silk, we develop a bioinspired electrospun superabsorbent fibrous film (SAFF) composed of a poly(acrylic acid-co-3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate) fibrous network and poly(sodium acrylate) particles. The two components synergistically enable ultrafast water uptake while preserving superabsorbent functionality, and the spider-silk-inspired bead-on-string architecture creates a strengthened scaffold that maintains the structural integrity and load-bearing capacity of the hydrated fibrous films. Accordingly, the SAFF exhibits second-scale water uptake, an equilibrium water uptake capacity of ∼82.17 g g-1, and a hydrated mechanical strength of up to ∼646.4 kPa. In addition, the material demonstrates promising potential for heat shielding and emergency sealing. This work provides a bioinspired strategy for superabsorbent fibrous materials with ultrafast uptake and hydrated-state mechanical robustness.