Graphene oxide (GO) is a kind of two-dimensional nanomaterial

which is cheap

easy to disperse in water

able to response to near infrared (NIR) light and has good thermal performance. The introduction of graphene oxide endows hydrogels with varieties of excellent properties of nanomaterials

thus greatly broadens the potential application of hydrogels. In this paper

graphene oxide composite hydrogels with excellent mechanical properties

superior thermal conductivity to absorb NIR

self-healing ability and its application in the smart actuators and cell scaffolds are introduced in detail. The direction of its future research and prospect are put forward.