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Smart Polymers for Biomedical Applications

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System-Materials Nanoarchitectonics

Part of the book series: NIMS Monographs ((NIMSM))

Abstract

Biofunctional polymers have been extensively studied for more than 50 years. Some of these polymers are defined as materials that respond to chemical stimuli, such as the concentration of certain chemicals and pH changes, and physical stimuli, such as heat, magnetic field, light, and electric field. They are also classified as “smart polymers”. To achieve more sophisticated drug treatments or to replace tissues/organs to improve biological functions, the use of smart polymers is essential because human beings are dynamic organisms in order to maintain a metabolic balance via the feedback system called homeostasis. Thanks to the recent development of polymer chemistry with precise control of molecular chains, smart polymer researches have entered the next era. This chapter describes the recent development of smart polymers in the biomedical fields.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (WPI-MANA), National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, 305-0044, Ibaraki, Japan

    Mitsuhiro Ebara

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  1. Mitsuhiro Ebara
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Correspondence to Mitsuhiro Ebara .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan

    Yutaka Wakayama

  2. National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan

    Katsuhiko Ariga

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Ebara, M. (2022). Smart Polymers for Biomedical Applications. In: Wakayama, Y., Ariga, K. (eds) System-Materials Nanoarchitectonics. NIMS Monographs. Springer, Tokyo. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-56912-1_15

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