Introductory Guide to Smart Biomaterials

Abstract

There has been a renewal of interest in controlling biological events and a considerable number of studies have been conducted on designing of novel materials to meet these applications. Some special types of polymers, for example, have emerged as a very useful class of polymers and have their own special chemical properties and applications in various areas. These polymers are called “smart polymers”. The characteristic feature that actually makes them smart is their ability to respond to very slight changes in the surrounding environment. The uniqueness of these materials lies not only in the fast macroscopic changes occurring in their structure but also these transitions being reversible. This chapter introduces a novel functionalization method of isopropylacrylamide-type monomers and their polymers, which have been studies most extensively. Use of these monomers can synergistically combine the individual properties of the two or more components to yield new and desirable properties.