Smart Polymers for Biomedical Applications

Smart materials have the ability to respond to changes in their environment by variations in their molecular structure or in their physicochemical properties. The progress in materials chemistry, physicochemical characterization techniques, assessment of biomaterial interaction with cells and tissues, and computer-assisted modeling motivates the exploration of knowledge-based approaches for the design of active polymer systems. However, these active polymers are not restricted to actively moving materials. They can offer a wide-spread spectrum of functions, including controlled release, swellability, and degradability, that may be controlled by suitable stimuli. The design of the molecular structure of the repeating units allows many fold possibilities for influencing the properties of polymers. An example is the incorporation of different functional groups, whether integrated in the backbone or as a pendant group.