# Magneto‐X Effects in Magnetic Soft Materials and Their Applications

## TL;DR

This review explores magnetic soft materials and their responses to magnetic fields, highlighting their potential in robotics, medicine, and electronics.

## Contribution

The paper introduces a systematic classification of magnetic soft materials and their effects, along with a roadmap for future development.

## Key findings

- Magnetic soft materials exhibit diverse magneto-responsive effects like magnetorheological and magnetoelastic behaviors.
- Applications in soft robotics and biomedical devices demonstrate the materials' transformative potential.
- Persistent challenges include multi-physics modeling and scalable fabrication of these materials.

## Abstract

Magnetic soft materials (MSMs) represents an emerging class of composite materials that integrate magnetic responsiveness with the mechanical compliance of soft polymers, gels, and fluids. This review systematically summarizes the fundamental magneto‐responsive effects—including magnetorheological, magnetoelastic, magnetothermal, magneto‐driven deformation, magnetoresistive, and magnetoelectric effects—and classifies MSMs by matrix and filler type. It highlights recent multidisciplinary advancements in soft robotics, biomedical engineering, and flexible electronics, demonstrating their capabilities in untethered actuation, targeted therapy, and self‐powered sensing. Finally, the review addresses persistent challenges such as multi‐physics modeling and scalable fabrication, while outlining a future roadmap toward intelligent, integrated systems. This work provides a comprehensive reference for advancing the science and application of MSMs across multiple fields.

This review systematically explores magnetic soft materials (MSMs), a novel class of composites that transform under magnetic fields. It catalogs fundamental “Magneto‐X” effects, classifies materials by their matrix and magnetic fillers, and highlights transformative applications in soft robotics, biomedical devices, flexible electronics, etc. Finally, it addresses key challenges in modeling and manufacturing, outlining a roadmap towards intelligent, integrated systems.