Stimuli-Responsive Functional Polymers for Drug Delivery

Dear Colleagues,

Stimuli-responsive functional polymers are at the forefront of innovation in drug delivery, offering sophisticated control over therapeutic release in response to specific physiological or external triggers. These polymers are designed to respond to stimuli, such as changes in pH, redox potential, temperature, enzymatic activity, or external fields (light, magnetic, ultrasound), enabling the precise spatial and temporal control of drug release. Their responsiveness, combined with tailored chemical functionality, allows for enhanced targeting, reduced systemic toxicity, and improved treatment efficacy across a wide range of diseases.

Recent research has explored diverse classes of functional polymers—including linear, branched, block copolymers, and dendritic architectures—incorporating labile bonds or responsive moieties into their structures. These polymers can be formulated into drug delivery platforms such as nanoparticles, micelles, nanogels, hydrogels, and films, offering a high degree of versatility for different administration routes and therapeutic needs. Furthermore, multifunctional systems integrating imaging, diagnostic, or targeting capabilities with drug delivery are gaining attention in the development of next-generation theranostics.

This Special Issue focuses on the design, synthesis, characterization, and biomedical application of stimuli-responsive functional polymers for drug delivery. Submissions are encouraged that (i) investigate the structure–property–performance relationships of functional polymers in biological environments; (ii) develop novel stimuli-responsive mechanisms and polymer chemistries for controlled or triggered release; and (iii) explore innovative delivery systems and fabrication strategies aimed at clinical translation.

We welcome the submission of original research articles, reviews, and short communications that advance the scientific understanding and technological potential of stimuli-responsive functional polymers in drug delivery and related biomedical applications.

Dr. Da Huang
Guest Editor

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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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.