NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: Icing is a natural phenomenon that plays a crucial role in sustaining life on Earth, but unwanted icing can cause severe economic, environmental, and life-threatening consequences. Conventional antifreezing materials, such as icephobic water-free organics or hydrophilic hydrogels containing antifreezing additives, often suffer from weak mechanical properties under subzero temperatures, which limits their practical applications. To address this issue, this research will explore a design strategy for developing a new class of fully polymeric hydrogels that possess inherent antifreezing properties and enhanced mechanical strength without requiring antifreeze additives. A successful project could pave the way for a new family of antifreezing hydrogels with diverse structures and other built-in functions for different applications under subzero temperatures, including flexible supercapacitors, soft robotics, electronic skin, and wearable devices. The research is multi-disciplinary and will provide a valuable learning experience for undergraduate/graduate students and high-school teachers in the areas of polymer chemistry/physics, molecular simulations, and engineering design. Additionally, the PI will also introduce experimental and computational components to the curriculum to enhance student learning of engineered materials and promote the field of hydrogel-based materials by organizing international conferences, special journal issues, and STEM studen