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Applied Stimuli-Responsive Polymer Based Materials
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Applied Stimuli-Responsive Polymer Based Materials

A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymeric Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 October 2025 | Viewed by 3782

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Trzebicka Barbara

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Centre of Polymer and Carbon Materials, Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. M. Curie-Skłodowskiej 34, 41-819 Zabrze, Poland
Interests: polymer characterization; polymer self-assembling; stimuli-responsive polymers; polymer nanoparticles; polymers for biomedical applications; polymeric hybrids; polymer–carbon materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Alicja Utrata-Wesołek

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Centre of Polymer and Carbon Materials, Polish Academy of Sciences, M. Curie-Sklodowskiej 34, 41-819 Zabrze, Poland
Interests: polymeric materials; controlled polymerization; polymer surfaces; hydrogels; polymer nano- and microparticles; temperature-responsive polymers; polymers for biomedical applications
Dr. Daria Lipowska-Kur

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Centre of Polymer and Carbon Materials, Polish Academy of Sciences, M. Curie-Sklodowskiej 34, 41-819 Zabrze, Poland
Interests: thermoresponsive polymers; controlled polymerization; polymeric materials; thermogels; polymer nano- and microparticles; polymers for biomedical applications; 3D (bio)printing; drug delivery

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Stimuli-responsive polymer-based materials, often referred to as smart polymers or intelligent materials, represent systems with a remarkable ability to irreversibly change their physicochemical properties in response to specific external stimuli. Beyond the well-studied thermo-, pH-, or light-responsive polymer materials, systems reacting to mechanical force, electric/magnetic fields, or the presence of certain ions or molecules (biomolecules or CO2) have progressed tremendously in recent years. Polymer materials that simultaneously respond to many stimuli are also an interesting, developing form of intelligent system.

The development of stimuli-responsive materials is often driven by the desire to mimic nature. Their unique responsiveness has enabled their application in various emerging fields, such as biomedicine (e.g., drug delivery, tissue engineering, biomedical devices, diagnostic tools, gene delivery and therapy, smart implants or biosensors), electronics, textiles, agriculture, and soft robotics.

This Special Issue will offer a thorough overview of recent advancements in the field of applied stimuli-responsive polymer-based materials encompassing their design, synthesis, processing, characterization, and application. A broad range of smart polymeric systems, such as polymeric solutions, films on the surfaces, membranes, nano- and microstructures, gels, and polymer composites (e.g., metals, ceramics, or nanostructured carbon), are considered. We also encourage the sharing of knowledge within the scientific community to encourage the diverse application of these materials.

We request appreciate original research, reviews, and perspectives from all interdisciplinary fields of research to enhance our understanding of this intriguing and constantly evolving area. Our goal is to compile the latest discoveries in the field of smart polymer-based material to create a useful source of scientific knowledge for researchers.

Prof. Dr. Trzebicka Barbara
Dr. Alicja Utrata-Wesołek
Dr. Daria Lipowska-Kur
Guest Editors

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

  • stimuli-responsive polymer materials: nano- and microparticles, gels, networks, surfaces, films, composites
  • synthetic and natural polymers
  • thermo-, light-, force-, redox-, pH-, electric/magnetic field-, and molecule-responsive materials
  • synthesis and functionalization
  • physico-chemical properties
  • polymer processing
  • biomedicine
  • (bio)sensors and actuators
  • agriculture
  • robotics

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 2080 KiB  
Article
Multi-Responsive Amphiphilic Hyperbranched Poly[(2-dimethyl aminoethyl methacrylate)-co-(benzyl methacrylate)]copolymers: Self-Assembly and Curcumin Encapsulation in Aqueous Media
by Foteini Ginosati, Dimitrios Vagenas, Angelica Maria Gerardos and Stergios Pispas
Materials 2025, 18(3), 513; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18030513 - 23 Jan 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 548
Abstract
In this study, we report the synthesis of amphiphilic hyperbranched poly[(2-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate)-co-(benzyl methacrylate)] statistical copolymers with two different stoichiometric compositions using the reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer polymerization (RAFT) technique. The selection of monomers was made to incorporate a pH and thermoresponsive polyelectrolyte (DMAEMA) [...] Read more.
In this study, we report the synthesis of amphiphilic hyperbranched poly[(2-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate)-co-(benzyl methacrylate)] statistical copolymers with two different stoichiometric compositions using the reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer polymerization (RAFT) technique. The selection of monomers was made to incorporate a pH and thermoresponsive polyelectrolyte (DMAEMA) component and a hydrophobic component (BzMA) to achieve amphiphilicity and study the effects of architecture and environmental factors on the behavior of the novel branched copolymers. Molecular characterization was performed through size exclusion chromatography (SEC) and spectroscopic characterization techniques (1H-NMR and FT-IR). The self-assembly behavior of the hyperbranched copolymers in aqueous media, in response to variations in pH, temperature, and ionic strength, was studied using dynamic light scattering (DLS), electrophoretic light scattering (ELS), and fluorescence spectroscopy (FS). Finally, the efficacy of the two novel copolymers to encapsulate curcumin (CUR), a hydrophobic, polyphenolic drug with proven anti-inflammatory and fluorescence properties, was established. Its encapsulation was evaluated through DLS, UV–Vis, and fluorescence measurements, investigating the change of hydrodynamic radius of the produced mixed copolymer–CUR nanoparticles in each case and their fluorescence emission properties. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applied Stimuli-Responsive Polymer Based Materials)
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17 pages, 2666 KiB  
Article
When a Small Amount of Comonomer Is Enough: Tailoring the Critical Solution Temperature of LCST-Type Thermoresponsive Random Copolymers by PEG Methyl Ether Methacrylate with 1100 g/mol Molecular Weight
by György Kasza, Bence Sármezey, Dóra Fecske, Klára Verebélyi and Béla Iván
Materials 2025, 18(2), 372; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18020372 - 15 Jan 2025
Viewed by 1502
Abstract
Tuning the critical solution temperature (CST) of thermoresponsive polymers is essential to exploit their immense potential in various applications. In the present study, the effect of PEG-methyl ether methacrylate with a higher molecular weight of 1100 g/mol (mPEGMA1100) as a comonomer [...] Read more.
Tuning the critical solution temperature (CST) of thermoresponsive polymers is essential to exploit their immense potential in various applications. In the present study, the effect of PEG-methyl ether methacrylate with a higher molecular weight of 1100 g/mol (mPEGMA1100) as a comonomer was investigated for its suitability for the CST adjustment of LCST-type polymers. Accordingly, a library of mPEGMA1100-based copolymers was established with varying compositions (XmPEGMA1100) using four main comonomers, namely di(ethylene glycol) ethyl ether acrylate, N-isopropyl acrylamide and methacrylamide, and mPEGMA300, with different CST values (cloud points, TCP, and clearing points, TCL, by turbidimetry). It was found that less than 20 mol% of the mPEGMA1100 in the copolymers is practically sufficient for tuning the CST in the entire measurable temperature range, i.e., up to 100 °C, regardless of the CST of the homopolymer of the main comonomer (CST0). Moreover, a predictive asymptotic model was developed based on the measured CST values, which strikingly revealed that the CSTs of mPEGMA1100-containing copolymers depend only on the two main parameters of these copolymers, XmPEGMA1100 and the CST of the homopolymer of the main comonomer (CST0), that is, CST = f(CST0, XmPEGMA1100). The revealed two-parameter relationship defines a surface in 3D plotting, and it is applicable to determine the CST of copolymers in advance for a given composition or to define the suitable composition for a required CST value. These unprecedented results on the dependence of CSTs on two major well-defined parameters enable to design a variety of novel macromolecular structures with tailored thermoresponsive properties. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applied Stimuli-Responsive Polymer Based Materials)
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24 pages, 18105 KiB  
Article
Diverse Strategies to Develop Poly(ethylene glycol)–Polyester Thermogels for Modulating the Release of Antibodies
by Daria Lipowska-Kur, Łukasz Otulakowski, Urszula Szeluga, Katarzyna Jelonek and Alicja Utrata-Wesołek
Materials 2024, 17(18), 4472; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17184472 - 12 Sep 2024
Viewed by 1209
Abstract
In this work, we present basic research on developing thermogel carriers containing high amounts of model antibody immunoglobulin G (IgG) with potential use as injectable molecules. The quantities of IgG loaded into the gel were varied to evaluate the possibility of tuning the [...] Read more.
In this work, we present basic research on developing thermogel carriers containing high amounts of model antibody immunoglobulin G (IgG) with potential use as injectable molecules. The quantities of IgG loaded into the gel were varied to evaluate the possibility of tuning the dose release. The gel materials were based on blends of thermoresponsive and degradable ABA-type block copolymers composed of poly(lactide-co-glycolide)-b-poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA–PEG–PLGA) or poly(lactide-co-caprolactone)-b-poly(ethylene glycol)-b-(lactide-co-caprolactone) (PLCL–PEG–PLCL). Primarily, the gels with various amounts of IgG were obtained via thermogelation, where the only factor inducing gel formation was the change in temperature. Next, to control the gels’ mechanical properties, degradation rate, and the extent of antibody release, we have tested two approaches. The first one involved the synergistic physical and chemical crosslinking of the copolymers. To achieve this, the hydroxyl groups located at the ends of the PLGA–PEG–PLGA chain were modified into acrylate groups. In this case, the thermogelation was accompanied by chemical crosslinking through the Michael addition reaction. Such an approach increased the dynamic mechanical properties of the gels and simultaneously prolonged their decomposition time. An alternative solution was to suspend crosslinked PEG–polyester nanoparticles loaded with IgG in a PLGA–PEG–PLGA gelling copolymer. We observed that loading IgG into thermogels lowered the gelation temperature (TGEL) value and increased the storage modulus of the gels, as compared with gels without IgG. The prepared gel materials were able to release the IgG from 8 up to 80 days, depending on the gel formulation and on the amount of loaded IgG. The results revealed that additional, chemical crosslinking of the thermogels and also suspension of particles in the polymer matrix substantially extended the duration of IgG release. With proper matching of the gel composition, environmental conditions, and the type and amount of active substances, antibody-containing thermogels can serve as effective IgG delivery materials. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applied Stimuli-Responsive Polymer Based Materials)
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