Stimuli-responsive Polymers and Their Biomedical Applications

Abstract

Polymers have gained importance for their ability to alter color, volume, or shape in response to specific physicochemical environments, such as temperature, light, or pH. The use of "smart" polymer-based material is rapidly increasing in personalized healthcare, electronics, and renewable energy resources. Thus, design, synthesis, and production of these polymers with absolutely controlled shape and size are critical for the development of new functional materials. Moreover, the type and degree of stimulusresponse can be regulated either by precise design or by incorporation of additive materials. This chapter highlights recent advances in the synthesis, characterization, and applications of temperature, pH, electromagnetic radiation or biological stimuli-responsive polymers. Stimuli-responsive polymers offer a tremendous opportunity for the development of smart materials, specifically for bio-mimicking polymers that contain various kinds of amino acids, growth factors, and metals that are used as building blocks in the near future.