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Smart materials have been produced by conceiving of the idea of materials/systems having a fourth dimension. To match advances in instrumentation, efforts are being made to develop materials, resulting in smart materials with enhanced performance. In nature, the action of stimuli-responsive materials is reversible; this idea has attracted interest for its potential research and industrial applications. The challenge remains how to couple these applications with environmental consciousness.This book presents the basics of smart polymers and describes their current and future applications. This book is different from other books on the subject in that it explores polymer materials'smart behavior in more depth, covering vibration damping, thermal and electrochemical energy, sensing at trace level, biotechnology, and so on. The 14 chapters in this book cover diverse areas, including:• Photoresponsive polymers that can be manipulated using a specific frequency of light• Designing polymers for vibration damping• Smart manipulations of hydrophobic and super-hydrophobic polymers• Biopolymers, including hydrogels for smart application, drug delivery, and other uses• Smart paints• Self-healing and shape memory polymers• Holography for data storage• Phase change polymers and solid polymer electrolytes for thermal and electrochemical energy• Molecular imprinting polymers for sub-ppm sensing and removal of unwanted materials• Smart textiles, and the concept of advanced textilesThis book will be of particular interest to researchers, postgraduates, and industry experts. It offers an extensive introduction to the basics of smart polymers and their possible applications.

Smart polymers react sharply to small changes in physical or chemical conditions and present an intelligent response to chemical stimuli (i.e., chemical species -including biomolecules-, pH, solvents, redox, stimuli that trigger controlled depolymerization) and physical stimuli (i.e., temperature, light, mechanical stress and electrical stimuli). For these reasons, the interest in smart polymers has recently increased exponentially, especially in biological stimuli (i.e., application of polymer-based biosensors, drug delivery, tissue engineering, precision medicine and cell therapy). This book offers a unique opportunity to review the physical-chemical fundamentals of smart polymers, and their behaviour. It also provides an excellent review of the main applications of smart polymers.

The ability for a material to change properties in response to external stimuli is an attractive feature for numerous applications and as such stimuli responsive materials are gaining attention across many different fields. This book introduces the concepts of stimuli-responsiveness, including the fundamental materials properties required for design. It provides readers with comprehensive scientific principles and developments of stimuli responsive materials, as well as the recent technological advances. Written by a renowned expert in the field, this book is suitable for anyone interested in stimuli responsive materials working in polymers, biochemistry, biotechnology and materials science.

The development of smart materials for environmental applications is a highly innovative and promising new approach to meet the increasing demands from society on water resources and pollution remediation. Smart materials with surfaces that can reversibly respond to stimuli from internal and external environments by changing their properties show great promise as solutions for global environmental issues. Many of these functional materials are inspired by biological systems, that use sophisticated material interfaces to display high levels of adaptability to their environment. Leading researchers present the latest information on the current and potential applications of omniphobic slippery coatings, responsive particle stabilized emulsions and self-healing surfaces among other functional materials. The book contains a section dedicated to water treatment and harvesting, describing and explaining strategies such as use of copolymer membranes and surfaces with patterned wettability. It provides a valuable source of information for environmental, materials, polymer and nano-scientists interested in environmental applications of functional material surfaces.

Ionic polymer metal composites (IPMCs) can generate a voltage when physically deformed. Conversely, an applied small voltage or electrical field can induce an array of spectacular large deformation or actuation behaviours in IPMCs, such as bending, twisting, rolling, twirling, steering and undulating. An important smart material, IPMCs have applications in energy harvesting and as self-powered strain or deformation sensors, they are especially suitable for monitoring the shape of dynamic structures. Other uses include soft actuation applications and as a material for biomimetic robotic soft artificial muscles in industrial and medical contexts. This comprehensive volume on ionic polymer metal composites provides a broad coverage of the state of the art and recent advances in the field written by some of the world's leading experts on various characterizations and modeling of IPMCs. Topics covered in this two volume set include uses in electrochemically active electrodes, electric energy storage devices, soft biomimetic robotics artificial muscles, multiphysics modeling of IPMCs, biomedical applications, IPMCs as dexterous manipulators and tactile sensors for minimally invasive robotic surgery, self-sensing, miniature pumps for drug delivery, IPMC snake-like robots, IPMC microgrippers for microorganisms manipulations, Graphene-based IPMCs and cellulose-based IPMCs or electroactive paper actuators (EAPap). Edited by the leading authority on IMPCs, the broad coverage will appeal to researchers from chemistry, materials, engineering, physics and medical communities interested in both the material and its applications.

Ionic polymer metal composites (IPMCs) can generate a voltage when physically deformed. Conversely, an applied small voltage or electrical field can induce an array of spectacular large deformation or actuation behaviours in IPMCs, such as bending, twisting, rolling, twirling, steering and undulating. An important smart material, IPMCs have applications in energy harvesting and as self-powered strain or deformation sensors, they are especially suitable for monitoring the shape of dynamic structures. Other uses include soft actuation applications and as a material for biomimetic robotic soft artificial muscles in industrial and medical contexts. This comprehensive volume on ionic polymer metal composites provides a broad coverage of the state of the art and recent advances in the field written by some of the world's leading experts on various characterizations and modeling of IPMCs. Topics covered in this two volume set include uses in electrochemically active electrodes, electric energy storage devices, soft biomimetic robotics artificial muscles, multiphysics modeling of IPMCs, biomedical applications, IPMCs as dexterous manipulators and tactile sensors for minimally invasive robotic surgery, self-sensing, miniature pumps for drug delivery, IPMC snake-like robots, IPMC microgrippers for microorganisms manipulations, Graphene-based IPMCs and cellulose-based IPMCs or electroactive paper actuators (EAPap). Edited by the leading authority on IMPCs, the broad coverage will appeal to researchers from chemistry, materials, engineering, physics and medical communities interested in both the material and its applications.

Smart materials stimulated by chemical or biological signals are of interest for their many applications including drug delivery, as well as in new sensors and actuators for environmental monitoring, process and food control, and medicine. In contrast to other books on responsive materials, this volume concentrates on materials which are stimulated by chemical or biological signals. Chemoresponsive Materials introduces the area with chapters covering different responsive material systems including hydrogels, organogels, membranes, thin layers, polymer brushes, chemomechanical and imprinted polymers, nanomaterials, silica particles, as well as carbohydrate- and bio-based systems. Many promising applications are highlighted, with an emphasis on drug delivery, sensors and actuators. With contributions from internationally known experts, the book will appeal to graduate students and researchers in academia, healthcare and industry interested in functional materials and their applications.

Mechanochromic fluorescent (or mechanofluorochromic) materials change their emission colours (spectra) when an appropriate external mechanical force stimulus is applied. This is an important group of materials with a huge range of applications, including use in sensors, memory chips, security inks, and light devices. Mechanochromic Fluorescent Materials introduces the reader to the concept of mechanofluorochromism and the variety of applications of this group of materials. Prominent international figures in mechanofluorochromism consider the innovative research in this field over the last ten years. Chapters provide in depth coverage of most reported mechanofluorochromic systems, including organic and organic-inorganic complexes; polymer and polymer composites; and aggregation-induced emission. This book is aimed to inform all students and researchers with an interest in mechanofluorochromism, and to help researchers identify and synthesize more of these materials, and develop the study and application of mechanofluorochromic materials.

Smart materials, which can change properties when an external stimulus is applied, can be used for the targeted drug delivery of an active molecule to a specific site in the correct dosage. Different materials such as liposomes, polymeric systems, nanomaterials and hydrogels can respond to different stimuli such as pH, temperature and light and these are all attractive for controlled release applications. With so many papers available on smart and stimuli-responsive materials for drug delivery applications it's hard to know where to start reading about this exciting topic. This two volume set brings together the recent findings in the area and provides a critical analysis of the different materials available and how they can be applied to advanced drug delivery systems. With contributions from leading experts in the field, including a foreword from distinguished scientist Nicholas Peppas, The University of Texas at Austin, USA, the book will provide both an introduction to the key areas for graduate students and new researchers in the stimuli-responsive field as well as serving as a reference for those already working on fundamental materials research or drug delivery applications.

Smart materials, which can change properties when an external stimulus is applied, can be used for the targeted drug delivery of an active molecule to a specific site in the correct dosage. Different materials such as liposomes, polymeric systems, nanomaterials and hydrogels can respond to different stimuli such as pH, temperature and light and these are all attractive for controlled release applications. With so many papers available on smart and stimuli-responsive materials for drug delivery applications it's hard to know where to start reading about this exciting topic. This two volume set brings together the recent findings in the area and provides a critical analysis of the different materials available and how they can be applied to advanced drug delivery systems. With contributions from leading experts in the field, including a foreword from distinguished scientist Nicholas Peppas, The University of Texas at Austin, USA, the book will provide both an introduction to the key areas for graduate students and new researchers in the stimuli-responsive field as well as serving as a reference for those already working on fundamental materials research or drug delivery applications.

The inner architecture of a material can have an astonishing effect on its overall properties and is vital to understand when designing new materials. Nature is a master at designing hierarchical structures and so researchers are looking at biological examples for inspiration, specifically to understand how nature arranges the inner architectures for a particular function in order to apply these design principles into man-made materials. Materials Design Inspired by Nature is the first book to address the relationship between the inner architecture of natural materials and their physical properties for materials design. The book explores examples from plants, the marine world, arthropods and bacteria, where the inner architecture is exploited to obtain specific mechanical, optical or magnetic properties along with how these design principles are used in man-made products. Details of the experimental methods used to investigate hierarchical structures are also given. Written by leading experts in bio-inspired materials research, this is essential reading for anyone developing new materials.

Research Progress in Nano and Intelligent Materials presents a broad selection of chapters on leading-edge research from top international researchers on various applications of nano and intelligent materials. The collection of topics in this book aims to reflect the diversity of recent advances in nano and intelligent materials with a broad perspe

Named after the two-faced roman god, Janus particles have gained much attention due to their potential in a variety of applications, including drug delivery. This is the first book devoted to Janus particles and covers their methods of synthesis, how these particles self-assemble, and their possible uses. By following the line of synthesis, self-assembly and applications, the book not only covers the fundamental and applied aspects, but it goes beyond a simple summary and offers a logistic way of selecting the proper synthetic route for Janus particles for certain applications. Written by pioneering experts in the field, the book introduces the Janus concept to those new to the topic and highlights the most recent research progress on the topic for those active in the field and catalyze new ideas.

From the nanoscale to the macroscopic scale, intelligent materials are triggering a response across both dimensions and scientific disciplines... World class, leading experts in the fields of chemistry, physics and engineering have contributed to Intelligent Materials, highlighting the importance of smart material science in the 21st century. In this exceptional text the expertise of specialists across the globe is drawn upon to present a truly interdisciplinary outline of the topic. Covering both a bottom-up chemical, and top-down engineering approach to the design of intelligent materials the Editors of the book are bridging a vital gap between various scientific authorities. The influence of current research in this field on future technology is undisputed and potential applications of intelligent materials span nanoscience, nano technology, medicine, engineering, biotechnology, pharmaceutical and many other industries. This is an authoritative introduction to the most recent developments in the area, which will provide the reader with a better understanding of the almost unlimited opportunities in the progress and design of new intelligent materials. An indispensable reference for anyone contemplating working in the field! Comments on this book...'This will be the starting point for all researchers looking for industrial solutions involving smart materials. Congratulations to the Editors for providing such a vast and interdisciplinary book.'P.-G de Gennes, France Prix Nobel de Physic 1991