Concentration Gradients in Material Sciences: Methods to Design and Biomedical Applications

Concentration gradients are at the basis of many natural phenomena and hold great importance in human and plant biology. This basic phenomenon has inspired many material scientists to confer novel and original properties to materials with numerous biomedical and pharmaceutical applications such as drug discovery, controlled release of drugs, tissue engineering, orthopedic implants and time-temperature indicators, amongst others. While the generation of gradients in solution is well described, their incorporation in solid materials remains challenging. This study reviews concepts and methods reported to generate gradients in respective solutions and (at the surface or in) solid materials like polymer scaffolds and matrices. This article also discusses how innovative materials possessing such gradients may be applied in biomedicine and pharmacy.

Automated summary

Concentration gradients play a crucial role in natural phenomena and have significant applications in biomedical and pharmaceutical fields. While generating gradients in solutions is well understood, incorporating them in solid materials remains a challenge. This study reviews methods for generating gradients in both solutions and solid materials, and discusses the potential applications of innovative materials with gradients in biomedicine and pharmacy.