Eco-friendly cellulose-derived thermoresponsive hydrogels for next-generation forest fire prevention and control

Large-scale forest fires have caused severe and irreversible environmental damage, making the rapid and effective prevention and control of forest fires an urgent global challenge. Currently, conventional water-based fire-extinguishing agents used for forest fire suppression exhibit poor adhesion, wetting ability, spreading performance, and environmental compatibility. In this study, a rapidly thermoresponsive bio-based hydrogel forest fire extinguishing agent (MCT) was successfully prepared by the hydration and intermolecular entanglement of cellulose derivatives and integration of trihydroxymethyl phosphorus oxide (THPO). At room temperature, MCT exhibits excellent fluidity and sprayability. When exposed to elevated temperatures, it undergoes a sol-gel phase transition, enabling strong adhesion to vegetation surfaces. MCT demonstrates good fire extinguishing performance and effectively suppresses heat and smoke release from natural pine wood (NW) during combustion. In the burning process, PO·and inert gases released from the decomposition of MCT suppress flame propagation in the gas phase, and the phosphoric acid compounds generated simultaneously promotes dehydration and charring in the condensed phase. Furthermore, MCT shows excellent biodegradability, storage stability (up to 30 days) and long-term fire-resistant effectiveness. This environmentally friendly and highly efficient bio-based thermoresponsive hydrogel provides a promising pathway for next-generation forest fire prevention and control technologies.