Adopting an integrated approach, this book covers experiments, theory, and emerging applications. In the first part surfaces are described that change from flat to either a random corrugated or to a well-structured structure, while the second part deals with those surface structures integrated in the coating surface where the structures change their shape or dimension when addressed by an external trigger. A variety of materials are addressed, including liquid crystal polymers, hydrogels, hard acrylates, and soft silicones. The whole is rounded off by a discussion of various applications, including surface controlled flows in microfluidic systems. Of interest to chemists and engineers, researchers in industry and academia, as well as those working in the paint industry and hydrodynamics.
This new book offers practical insights into the latest developments in responsive polymers, i.e., polymers engineered to alter structure and properties in response to environmental inputs. The book features original design, methodological, and application data. Chemists, biochemists, and electronic engineers will find here important new material to understand and characterize molecular and submolecular assemblies that enable the fabrication of switch-driven polymer systems. Beginning from basic research and moving to single-molecular design, the contributors illuminate switching in self-assembled aggregates of polymer chains. These analyses are extended to the switching/changing of macroscopic properties in bulk and thin films. The book demonstrates how the properties of responsive polymers such as morphology, wetting behavior, adhesion, roughness, permeability etc., can be modified to create and improve biomedical devices, chemical sensors, microfluidic devices, drug delivery systems, adhesion systems, and self-regulating colloids. For specialists investigating the potential of molecular and submolecular polymer design, this book is essential.
Adopting an integrated approach, this book covers experiments, theory, and emerging applications. In the first part surfaces are described that change from flat to either a random corrugated or to a well-structured structure, while the second part deals with those surface structures integrated in the coating surface where the structures change their shape or dimension when addressed by an external trigger. A variety of materials are addressed, including liquid crystal polymers, hydrogels, hard acrylates, and soft silicones. The whole is rounded off by a discussion of various applications, including surface controlled flows in microfluidic systems. Of interest to chemists and engineers, researchers in industry and academia, as well as those working in the paint industry and hydrodynamics.
The ability for a material to change properties in response to external stimuli is an attractive feature for numerous applications and as such stimuli responsive materials are gaining attention across many different fields. This book introduces the concepts of stimuli-responsiveness, including the fundamental materials properties required for design. It provides readers with comprehensive scientific principles and developments of stimuli responsive materials, as well as the recent technological advances. Written by a renowned expert in the field, this book is suitable for anyone interested in stimuli responsive materials working in polymers, biochemistry, biotechnology and materials science.
Surface modification of biomaterials can ultimately determine whether a material is accepted or rejected from the human body, and a responsive surface can further make the material "smart" and "intelligent". Switchable and Responsive Surfaces and Materials for Biomedical Applications outlines synthetic and biological materials that are responsive under different stimuli, their surface design and modification techniques, and applicability in regenerative medicine/tissue engineering, drug delivery, medical devices, and biomedical diagnostics. Part one provides a detailed overview of switchable and responsive materials and surfaces, exploring thermo-responsive polymers, environmentally responsive polyelectrolytes and zwitterionic polymers, as well as peptide-based and photonic sensitive switchable materials. Further chapters include a detailed overview of the preparation and analysis of switchable polymer brushes and copolymers for biomedical application. Part two explores the biological interactions and biomedical applications of switchable surfaces, where expert analysis is provided on the interaction of switchable surfaces with proteins and cells. The interaction of stimuli-sensitive polymers for tissue engineering and drug delivery with biosurfaces is critiqued, whilst the editor provides a skillful study into the application of responsive polymers in implantable medical devices and biosensors. A comprehensive overview of switchable and responsive materials and surfaces Includes in depth analysis of thermo-responsive polymers, photonic sensitive materials and peptide-based surfaces Detailed exploration of biological interactions of responsive and switchable surfaces, covering stimuli-sensitive polymers for drug delivery, surfaces with proteins/cells and application of polymers in medical devices
Offers a comprehensive review of the research and development of mechanically responsive materials and their applications in soft robots Mechanically Responsive Materials for Soft Robotics offers an authoritative guide to the current state of mechanically responsive materials for the development of soft robotics. With contributions from an international panel of experts, the book examines existing mechanically responsive materials such as crystals, polymers, gels, and composites that are stimulated by light and heat. The book also explores the application of mechanical materials to soft robotics. The authors describe the many excellent mechanical crystals developed in recent years that show the ability to bend, twist, rotate, jump, self-heal, and shape memory. Mechanical polymer materials are described for evolution into artificial muscles, photomobile materials, bioinspired soft actuators, inorganic-organic hybrid materials, multi-responsive composite materials, and strain sensor materials. The application of mechanical materials to soft robots is just the beginning. This book reviews the many challenging and versatile applications, such as soft microrobots made from photoresponsive elastomers, four-dimensional printing for assembling soft robots, self-growing of soft robots like plants, and biohybrid robots using muscle tissue. This important book: -Explores recent developments in the use of soft smart materials in robotic systems -Covers the full scope of mechanically responsive materials: polymers, crystals, gels, and nanocomposites -Deals with an interdisciplinary topic of advanced smart materials research -Contains extensive descriptions of current and future applications in soft robotics Written for materials scientists, polymer chemists, photochemists, physical chemists, solid state chemists, inorganic chemists, and robotics engineers, Mechanically Responsive Materials for Soft Robotics offers a comprehensive and timely review of the most recent research on mechanically responsive materials and the manufacture of soft robotics.
An authoritative resource that offers an understanding of the chemistry, properties and applications of temperature-responsive polymers With contributions from a distinguished panel of experts, Temperature-Responsive Polymers puts the focus on hydrophilic polymers capable of changing their physicochemical properties in response to changes in environmental temperature. The contributors review the chemistry of these systems, and discuss a variety of synthetic approaches for preparation of temperature-responsive polymers, physicochemical methods of their characterisation and potential applications in biomedical areas. The text reviews a wide-variety of topics including: The characterisation of temperature-responsive polymers; Infrared and Raman spectroscopy; Applications of temperature-responsive polymers grafted onto solid core nanoparticles; and much more. The contributors also explore how temperature-responsive polymers can be used in the biomedical field for applications such as tissue engineering. This important resource: Offers an important synthesis of the current research on temperature-responsive polymers Covers the chemistry, the synthetic approaches for presentation and the physiochemical method of temperature-responsive polymers Includes a review of the fundamental characteristics of temperature-responsive polymers Explores many of the potential applications in biomedical science, including drug delivery and gene therapy Written for polymer scientists in both academia and industry as well as postgraduate students working in the area of stimuli-responsive materials, this vital text offers an exploration of the chemistry, properties and current applications of temperature-responsive polymers.
