Responsive Polymers in Biology and Technology

Modern synthetic polymer chemistry has revolutionized the world of polymer materials. Among macromolecular systems of various chemical and architectural profiles the polymers exhibiting property of responsiveness to external signals have emerged as one of the most promising kind of materials in advanced materials science and owe versatile applications in biology and technology. The internal structural designs of these materials enable them to undergo a large and measurable transition in their physicochemical characteristics upon responding to a minor change in the external environment including experimental conditions. The present article reviews the state-of-the-art of the applications of various stimuli responsive polymers and describes their structure-property relationships. The article provides an account of different aspects of stimuli responsive macromolecular systems that include types of systems responsive to various stimuli such as pH, temperature, electric and magnetic fields, different biomolecules, etc. This review article also presents insights into synthetic strategies of these polymer systems and their major applications in areas such as controlled drug delivery, chromatography, sensors, biotechnology, etc. A brief mention of various challenges ahead and the future scope of this field has also been made.