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ABSTRACT Superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) are a class of functional materials known for their exceptional water absorption, retention capacity, and tunable physicochemical properties. Since their emergence in the 1960s, SAPs have progressed from simple moisture‐absorbing agents in hygiene products to multifunctional systems used in agriculture, environmental remediation, food preservation, and biomedical technologies. This review provides a comprehensive examination of their historical development, compositional evolution, and innovative synthesis strategies. It highlights how structural modifications, crosslinking chemistry, and the incorporation of renewable components have broadened their applicability and enhanced performance. Particular emphasis is placed on emerging functionalities such as biodegradability, stimuli‐responsiveness, and antimicrobial activity. These features enable SAPs to be integrated into sustainable and high‐value technologies. The environmental and agricultural sections describe their roles in water conservation, soil conditioning, and pollution control. Applications in food packaging, hygiene, and medicine further demonstrate their importance in improving human health, safety, and overall quality of life. Finally, current challenges and future perspectives are discussed, with special attention to the shift toward bio‐based, intelligent, and circular‐economy‐aligned SAP systems. Through a critical synthesis of recent developments, this review outlines a clear path toward next‐generation superabsorbent materials capable of addressing global sustainability and resource‐management challenges.
Shahi et al. (Mon,) studied this question.