Stimuli Responsive Biomaterials

Dear Colleagues,

Living organisms control many of their functions through structures and materials that respond to stimuli, including environmental changes. From muscle-control to sensing to membrane separations, and from digestion to antibody activity, nature thrives on functions of membranes, cells, organs, or whole organisms responding to and being controlled by external stimuli.

Synthetic materials and designed structures that capitalize on stimuli response are also being increasingly investigated: Materials functions are designed by “property switching” as a response to external stimuli (for example, by structural reconstruction, chemical reactions, or geometry changes, triggered by stimuli such as temperature, chemical environment / pH, light, electric signals, and mechanical deformations). These type of materials find applications in hydrogels, water-soluble polymers, intelligent surfaces, organic and inorganic membranes with triggered functions, shape-memory composites, drug encapsulation and release, sensors, actuators, and so on.

This Special Issue of the Journal of Functional Biomaterials is envisioned to bring together examples dealing with these latter, synthetic, materials and explore the widest possible range of stimuli. Of particular interest are articles which deal with synthetic materials designed to have specific interactions with biological systems, bioinspired and biomimetic materials/structures, materials designed to prevent biofilm formation, and systems that exhibit response to multiple stimuli. Review articles are also welcome to showcase the broader range of scientific advances around a coherent theme.

Prof. Dr. Evangelos Manias
Prof. Dr. Maria M. Jimenez-Gasco
Guest Editors