Smart polymers: Synthetic strategies, supramolecular morphologies, and drug loading

Abstract

Smart polymers are a relatively new type of material that is attracting attention from considerable attention from polymer scientists due to their promising applications in several high-tech industry fields. The properties of the smart polymers can change in various ways due to the action of a number of triggers such as temperature, pH, enzymes, ionic strength, and light intensity. The design of the polymer architecture is a key factor to obtain structures with the desired properties. The advent of controlled radical polymerization techniques has led to the development of a variety of polymers with controlled characteristics. Functionalization of these polymers has been successfully used to synthesize numerous structures with desired architectures creating unprecedented opportunities for the design of advanced materials with stimuli-responsive properties. In this chapter, recent advances in this fascinating research field will be presented highlighting new controlled living polymerization methods. Some concepts will also be introduced regarding drug loading and types of morphologies of self-assembled supramolecular structures derived from smart polymers.