Functional Polymer Materials for Biomedical Applications
A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Biomaterials".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2026 | Viewed by 47
Special Issue Editors
Interests: biodegradable polymers; biomaterials; biosensors; nanomedicine; smart nanomaterials; theranostics
Interests: polymer synthesis; sustainable polymers; polymer-based nanoparticles; catalysis and green chemistry
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Functional polymer materials are redefining the landscape of modern medicine. Their unique adaptability, structural tunability, and ability to respond to biological environments make them powerful tools for drug delivery, tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, diagnostics, imaging, and biosensing. Unlike conventional materials, functional polymers can be designed to interact dynamically with biological systems, offering controlled therapeutic release, enhanced biocompatibility, and targeted functionality, thus leading to transformative technologies that not only enhance therapeutic precision but also improve patient safety, comfort, and clinical outcomes. These attributes position them at the forefront of next-generation biomedical technologies that promise to transform healthcare and enhance patient outcomes.
The aim of this Special Issue is to provide a comprehensive platform for sharing cutting-edge research, emerging strategies, and visionary perspectives in the field of functional polymer materials for biomedical applications. By gathering contributions from diverse scientific communities, this Issue will highlight both fundamental scientific advances and translational approaches that bridge the gap between laboratory discoveries and clinical practice.
We invite submissions of articles, letters, reviews, perspectives, and comments covering all aspects of biomedical polymers, including (but not exclusively) the following topics:
- Design and synthesis of novel functional polymers for advanced biomedical applications;
- Stimuli-responsive and smart polymer systems capable of on-demand or site-specific drug release;
- Biocompatible and biodegradable polymers that ensure long-term safety and clinical feasibility;
- Polymer-derived nanomaterials for targeted therapy, bioimaging, and diagnostics;
- Polymer-based gels and hydrogels for controlled and sustained drug release;
- Multifunctional and hybrid polymers combining therapeutic and diagnostic (theranostic) capabilities;
- Advances in polymer functionalization and surface engineering for enhanced biological interactions;
- Biosensing and bioelectronics enabled by polymer-based materials;
- Polymer-based materials for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine;
- Challenges, opportunities, and pathways to clinical translation of polymer-based biomedical materials.
This Special Issue seeks to serve as a forum for interdisciplinary knowledge exchange, drawing on expertise from chemistry, polymer science, materials engineering, biology, and clinical medicine. By consolidating high-quality contributions, we hope to inspire new research directions, accelerate innovation, and promote the translation of functional polymer technologies into real-world biomedical solutions.
Dr. Binglin Sui
Dr. Guodong Du
Guest Editors
Dr. Safiya Nisar
Guest Editor Assistant
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Materials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- functional polymers
- smart polymers
- biocompatibility and biodegradability of polymers
- polymeric nanomaterials
- polymer gels and hydrogels
- biosensors and bioimaging
- drug delivery systems
- tissue engineering polymer materials
- regenerative medicine polymer materials
- 3D bioprinting polymer materials
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