Properties of Stimuli-Responsive Polymers

Abstract

The most energizing and rising class of materials that can react to an external stimulus is referred to as stimuli-responsive polymers. Stimuli are commonly classified into three categories: physical, chemical, and biological. Physically dependent stimuli mainly include temperature, electric field, light, magnetic field, and mechanical deformation. Chemically dependent stimuli comprise pH, specific ions, redox, and so on. Biologically responsive polymer systems are increasingly important in various biomedical applications. The major advantage of bioresponsive polymers is that they can respond to the stimuli that are inherently present in the natural system. Analytes and biomacromolecules such as glucose, enzymes, and overproduced metabolites in inflammation are major examples of biologically dependent stimuli. Smart polymers are characterized by their stimuli-responsive behavior, which is essentially dictated by the functional groups present on or within a polymer chain. Multiresponsive materials are not only important in life sciences but also equally essential for new developments in information technology.