Flexible and wearable functional materials for ionizing radiation Protection: A perspective review

[Display omitted] •Flexible radiation protection materials with excellent comprehensive properties are greatly in demand.•Well-dispersed high-Z ions/particles in the flexible matrix are the preconditions for properties.•Natural polymers contain innate advantages to construct wearable materials against radiation.•This review covers synthetic and natural polymer-based materials for radiation protection. With the rapid development of nuclear science and technology, X-rays and γ-rays are widely used in the fields of medical, military, industry, etc. However, a prolonged accumulation of radiation dosage from high-energy ionizing radiation is hazardous to human health and the surrounding environment. Traditional bulk radiation-shielding materials are bulky, heavy, and unable to meet the requirements for protecting mobile targets. To solve this problem, numerous research efforts have been focused on blending radiation absorbents with synthetic or natural polymer substrates to design lightweight and wearable shielding materials. This review aims to present a comprehensive overview of flexible and wearable radiation protection materials. To provide a clear view for readers, we discuss to start with the radiation shielding mechanisms and materials design principles. Subsequently, the state-of-the-art works on protection materials, which include lead-containing and lead-free synthetic polymer-based materials, as well as natural polymer-based materials are summarized. Additionally, the challenges of synthetic polymer-based materials and their corresponding enhancement strategies are highlighted. Finally, the possible future research and development directions are indicated for the benefit of practitioners and researchers in the field of radiation protection.