Fundamentals and Effects of Biomimicking Stimuli-Responsive Polymers for Engineering Functions

Abstract

Over the past few decades, reversible responsive polymer materials have received interest conjointly from academia as well as industry owing to their ability to adapt to the surrounding environment, change adhesion and wettability of copious species upon extraneous stimulus, and regulate transportation of molecules and ions. Stimuli-responsive polymers or macromolecules also exhibit the ability to convert biochemical and chemical signals into mechanical, thermal, optical, and electrical signals, and vice versa, for which they are utilized in an array of applications like “smart” optical systems, drug delivery, diagnostics, and tissue engineering, in conjunction with coatings, textiles, biosensors, and microelectromechanical systems. Extensive exploration on reversible responsive polymeric systems for a variety of engineering functionalities has been done; however, no collection of all the information is available as such. This Review consolidates profuse studies of reversible responsive polymers utilized in an assorted array of functions, inclusive of sensors, drug delivery, smart and self-healing coatings, etc.