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Smart Polymeric Materials for Biomedical Applications

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2026 | Viewed by 1157

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Guest Editor
Department of Chemical and Paper Engineering, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008, USA
Interests: environmentally friendly polymers; smart materials; biomedical engineering
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Recent advances in materials science and biomedical engineering have led to the development of smart polymeric materials: stimuli-responsive, adaptive, and multifunctional systems that can dynamically interact with biological systems, holding immense promises for next-generation biomedical applications. Smart polymers with controlled physicochemical changes in response to internal or external stimuli (such as pH, temperature, pressure, light, enzymes, magnetic fields, etc.) enable more precise, effective, and personalized medical interventions.

This Special Issue aims to showcase the latest developments in the design, synthesis, characterization, and biomedical application of polymeric materials, reflecting the synergy among various fields as part of Polymers’ commitment to advancing polymer science and applications.

The scope includes both experimental and theoretical studies from academia, industry, and clinical research in the form of original research articles or reviews. Research areas may include (but not limited to):

  • Stimuli-responsive polymers for controlled drug and gene delivery
  • Self-healing and shape-memory polymers for medical devices
  • Injectable and in situ-forming hydrogels for tissue engineering
  • Biodegradable smart polymers for temporary implants
  • Smart nanocomposites and hybrid materials for biosensing or imaging
  • Polymers for responsive wound dressings and hemostatic agents
  • Structure–state-property–function relationships in smart biomedical polymers
  • Bioprinting and 3D scaffolds using smart polymeric materials

Dr. Heon E. Park
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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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. Polymers 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 2700 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

  • smart polymers
  • stimuli-responsive materials
  • drug delivery
  • tissue engineering
  • biomedical polymers
  • hydrogels
  • biodegradable polymers
  • nanomedicine
  • biosensors
  • polymeric biomaterials

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

14 pages, 3103 KB  
Article
Engineering Thermo-Responsive Hydrogels with Tailored Mechanics for Biomedical Integration
by Sungmo Choi, Minkyeong Pyo, Sangmin Lee, Yunseo Jeong, Yuri Nam, Seonghyeon Park, Yoon-A Jang, Kisung Kim and Chan Ho Park
Polymers 2025, 17(17), 2424; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17172424 - 8 Sep 2025
Viewed by 717
Abstract
Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) hydrogels exhibit temperature-responsive volume changes near physiological temperature, but their low mechanical strength in the swollen state limits use in structurally demanding biomedical applications. In this study, we systematically investigated poly(NIPAAm-co-acrylamide), P(NIPAAm-co-AAm), hydrogels with varying AAm-to-NIPAAm ratios to explore the compositional [...] Read more.
Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) hydrogels exhibit temperature-responsive volume changes near physiological temperature, but their low mechanical strength in the swollen state limits use in structurally demanding biomedical applications. In this study, we systematically investigated poly(NIPAAm-co-acrylamide), P(NIPAAm-co-AAm), hydrogels with varying AAm-to-NIPAAm ratios to explore the compositional trade-offs between thermal responsiveness and mechanical performance. Hydrogels were synthesized under fixed crosslinker and water content conditions, and evaluated through compressive mechanical testing, thermal swelling analysis, and crosslinking density estimation. Our results show that increasing AAm content enhances mechanical strength and stiffness but reduces the magnitude of temperature-induced volumetric shrinkage. An intermediate comonomer formulation demonstrated an optimal balance, maintaining both sufficient mechanical integrity for transdermal microneedle insertion and a reversible volume transition. This study highlights the potential of compositional tuning in hydrogel systems to meet the competing demands of responsiveness and durability in advanced biomedical applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Polymeric Materials for Biomedical Applications)
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