Electrorheological (ER) fluids are a kind of smart materials whose viscosity can be adjusted by electric fields, which have wide application in the field of electrical-mechanical conversion. However, the practical application of ER fluids is still limited by insufficient performance. Polyelectrolyte-based ER materials have relatively high ER effect due to their large polarizability, good dispersion stability due to their low density, and small wear due to their low hardness, which are frequently studied as one of the most promising ER materials. This review introduces the research progress of ER materials, especially polyelectrolyte-based ER materials. The synthesis methods and ER properties of three types of polyelectrolyte ER materials are introduced, including traditional polyelectrolytes, polyether polymer electrolytes and recently developed poly(ionic liquid) (PIL) polyelectrolytes. In particular, the advantages of poly(ionic liquid)s in the development of high-performance anhydrous polyelectrolyte ER materials are highlighted, and the relationship between the intrinsic structure and ER property of PIL ER materials is discussed in detail in order to guide the material design. Finally, we propose the remaining challenges and possible developments in this field for the future outlook.

电流变（ER）流体是一种可以通过电场调节粘度的智能材料，在机电转换领域有着广泛的应用。然而，ER流体的实际应用仍然受到性能不足的限制。聚电解质基电致发光材料由于其极化率大、分散稳定性好、硬度低、磨损小等特点，具有较高的电致发光效应，是最有前途的电致发光材料之一。本综述介绍了ER材料，特别是聚电解质基ER材料的研究进展。介绍了三种聚电解质ER材料的合成方法和ER性能，包括传统聚电解质、聚醚聚合物电解质和最近开发的聚（离子液体）（PIL）聚电解质。特别突出了聚（离子液体）在高性能无水聚电解质ER材料开发中的优势，并详细讨论了PIL ER材料的本征结构与ER性能之间的关系，以指导材料设计。最后，我们为未来展望提出了该领域的剩余挑战和可能的发展。