Emerging Applications of Stimuli-responsive Polymer Materials

Overview

Journal Nat Mater

Date 2010 Jan 23

PMID 20094081

Citations 654

Authors

Martien A Cohen Stuart

Wilhelm T S Huck

Jan Genzer

Marcus Muller

Christopher Ober

Manfred Stamm

Gleb B Sukhorukov

Igal Szleifer

Vladimir V Tsukruk

Marek Urban

Francoise Winnik

Stefan Zauscher

Igor Luzinov

Sergiy Minko

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Responsive polymer materials can adapt to surrounding environments, regulate transport of ions and molecules, change wettability and adhesion of different species on external stimuli, or convert chemical and biochemical signals into optical, electrical, thermal and mechanical signals, and vice versa. These materials are playing an increasingly important part in a diverse range of applications, such as drug delivery, diagnostics, tissue engineering and 'smart' optical systems, as well as biosensors, microelectromechanical systems, coatings and textiles. We review recent advances and challenges in the developments towards applications of stimuli-responsive polymeric materials that are self-assembled from nanostructured building blocks. We also provide a critical outline of emerging developments.

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