How are smart polymers different to normal polymers?

Smart polymers may change conformation, adhesiveness or water retention properties, due to slight changes in pH, ionic strength, temperature or other triggers. Another factor in the effectiveness of smart polymers lies in the inherent nature of polymers in general.

What makes smart polymers different?

Smart polymers tend to have an all-or-nothing response, and are completely predictable, with the change being uniform throughout the material. They might alter their conformation, adhesiveness or water retention properties, and can return to their initial state when the stimulus ends.

What is smart polymer made of?

SIS polymers can be synthetic [poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) and methylmethacrylates polymers] (Figure 1) or natural (alginate, chitosan, and κ-carrageenan 2, 3), or a combination of both [collagen-acrylate and poly(polyethylene glycol-co-peptides)] [1].

What are the downsides to using smart polymer?

In spite of these advantages several drawbacks associated with these systems include high-burst drug release, low mechanical strength of the gel leading to potential dose-dumping, lack of biocompatibility of the polymeric system and gradual lowering of pH of the system due to acidic degradation14,15.

What are various stimuli of active smart polymers?

The functional polymers and structures can be actuated by the external stimulation, including the light, temperature, and electric field. Nowadays, various smart polymers are studied as soft sensors and actuators or are designed to compose the smart structures to own required performances.

What are some examples of smart polymers?

Examples of smart polymers are those that undergo rapid, reversible phase changes in response to small changes in environmental conditions. Ista and Lopez employed poly(N-isopropylacryl-amide) (PNIPAAM), a polymer that is soluble in water below, but insoluble above, 32°C.

What is a smart polymer?

Answer Wiki. Smart Polymer is one which changes its property significantly & rapidly upon environment change/ external stimulus. The typical changes in environment that can affect the way the polymer behavior are temperature, pH, light intensity, magnetic field etc.

What is the difference between monomers and polymers?

Polymers have a different physical and chemical makeup than their monomers, and more uniquely, their properties can be tailored depending on their main purpose. There are several types of polymers.

How are the physical properties of polymers tuned?

Physical properties of the polymer need to be tuned correctly to match the applications where the polymer is used. This is done by the addition of fillers (usually in percentage levels), and the variety of the polymer filler depends on the type of virgin polymer and the type of application.

What are addition polymers or chain growth polymers?

Polymers formed by a straightforward linking together of monomer units, with no loss or gain of material, are called addition polymers or chain-growth polymers. A listing of some important addition polymers and their monomer precursors is presented in the following table.