A three-dimensional smart polymer matrix is formed by a first epoxy chemical reaction linking a linear polymer chain and a branched polymer chain, wherein the polymer chains are flexible and one or more reactive molecule species remain unreacted, at a predetennined mathematical ratio of reacted to un-reacted molecules and molecule species, and the un-reacted molecular species are available for further chemical reaction, protonation or deprotonation after the first chemical reaction. The resulting smart polymer matrix is hydrophilic and non-soluble to a solvent or electrolyte.