Switchable Materials Containing Polyzwitterion Moieties

In recent decades, the design and construction of smart materials capable of switching into a polyzwitterionic state by an external trigger have been intensively pursued. Polyzwitterionic states have unique antifouling and surface properties and external triggers, such as pH, light, ions, electric field and CO2, cause significant changes in materials with regard to overall charge, ionic strength and wettability. This survey highlights current progress in the irreversible as well as the reversible switching process involving polyzwitterionic moieties, which can, in turn, be applied to studying the interaction of various interfaces with biological species as protein, DNA, bacteria or platelets and also for advanced use.