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Polymers
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Smart and Bio-Medical Polymers: 2nd Edition
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Smart and Bio-Medical Polymers: 2nd Edition

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Smart and Functional Polymers".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 May 2025 | Viewed by 3082

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Xufeng Dong

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
Interests: smart polymers; nanocomposites; biomedical polymers; hydrogels; polymer-based composites; elastomers; nanoenergy; tissue engineering; viscoelasticity; rheology; magnetorheological; electrorheological; carbon nanotube fibers; artificial muscles
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Jianxun Ding

grade E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Key Laboratory of Polymer Ecomaterials, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 5625 Renmin Street, Changchun 130022, China
Interests: bioactive biodegradable polymer; drug delivery; immunotherapy; regenerative medicine
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Yingdan Liu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
State Key Lab of Metastable Materials and Technology, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, China
Interests: electrorheological fluids; electoactive elastomer; hydrogel; ionogel; flexible sensor; flexible actuator
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The intersection between materials science and bioscience is an interesting topic. On the one hand, we can prepare smart materials, such as shape-memory materials, magnetostrictive materials, electrochromic materials, etc., to imitate the intelligence of life. Among these materials, smart polymers have become one of the most promising due to their diverse and flexible mechanical properties. On the other hand, these materials can be applied to repair human tissues or aid in the diagnosis and treatment of human health. Furthermore, polymers present in the human body include proteins, DNA, hair, etc. Therefore, biomedical polymers, such as biodegradable polymers, bioactive polymers, medical hydrogels, etc., have exceeded in becoming promising biomedical materials. In the past few decades, the fields of smart polymers and biomedical polymers have rapidly developed, showing a trend of cross-fusion.

Recognizing the importance of smart polymers and biomedical polymers, this Special Issue of Polymers invites contributions addressing several aspects of smart polymers and composites, such as shape-memory polymers, magnetorheological elastomers, electrorheological elastomers, dielectric elastomers, artificial muscles, 4D printing technology, etc., and topics related to biomedical polymers and composites, such as hydrogels, tissue engineering polymers, bioactive polymers and composites, degradable polymers, etc. The above list is by no means exhaustive; any original theoretical, experimental or application work, or review article on smart polymers and biomedical polymers is welcome.

Prof. Dr. Xufeng Dong
Prof. Dr. Jianxun Ding
Prof. Dr. Yingdan Liu
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. 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 and composites
  • shape-memory polymers
  • piezoelectric polymers
  • magnetorheological elastomers
  • electrorheological elastomers
  • dielectric elastomers
  • magnetostrictive composites
  • artificial muscles
  • triboelectric nanogenerator
  • four-dimensional printing
  • biomedical polymers and composites
  • hydrogels
  • ionogels
  • tissue engineering
  • bioactive polymers and composites
  • degradable polymers and composites

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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29 pages, 4161 KiB  
Article
Three-Dimensional Bioprinted Gelatin—Genipin Hydrogels Enriched with hUCMSC-Derived Small Extracellular Vesicles for Regenerative Wound Dressings
by Manal Hussein Taghdi, Maimonah Eissa Al-Masawa, Barathan Muttiah, Mh Busra Fauzi, Jia Xian Law, Ani Amelia Zainuddin and Yogeswaran Lokanathan
Polymers 2025, 17(9), 1163; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17091163 - 24 Apr 2025
Viewed by 193
Abstract
Mesenchymal stromal cell-derived small extracellular vesicles (MSC-sEVs) have shown great promise in promoting tissue repair, including skin wound healing, but challenges like rapid degradation and short retention have limited their clinical application. Hydrogels have emerged as effective carriers for sustained EV release. Three-dimensional [...] Read more.
Mesenchymal stromal cell-derived small extracellular vesicles (MSC-sEVs) have shown great promise in promoting tissue repair, including skin wound healing, but challenges like rapid degradation and short retention have limited their clinical application. Hydrogels have emerged as effective carriers for sustained EV release. Three-dimensional printing enables the development of personalized skin substitutes tailored to the wound size and shape. This study aimed to develop 3D bioprinted gelatin–genipin hydrogels incorporating human umbilical cord MSC-sEVs (hUCMSC-sEVs) for future skin wound healing applications. Gelatin hydrogels (8% and 10% w/v) were crosslinked with 0.3% genipin (GECL) to improve stability. The hydrogels were evaluated for their suitability for extrusion-based 3D bioprinting and physicochemical properties, such as the swelling ratio, hydrophilicity, enzymatic degradation, and water vapor transmission rate (WVTR). Chemical characterization was performed using EDX, XRD, and FTIR. The hUCMSC-sEVs were isolated via centrifugation and tangential flow filtration (TFF) and characterized. The crosslinked hydrogels were successfully 3D bioprinted and demonstrated superior properties, including high hydrophilicity, a swelling ratio of ~500%, slower degradation, and optimal WVTR. hUCMSC-sEVs, ranging from 50 to 200 nm, were positive for surface and cytosolic markers. Adding 75 μg/mL of hUCMSC-EVs into 10% GECL hydrogels significantly improved the biocompatibility. These hydrogels offer ideal properties for 3D bioprinting and wound healing, demonstrating their potential as biomaterial scaffolds for skin tissue regeneration applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart and Bio-Medical Polymers: 2nd Edition)
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24 pages, 29943 KiB  
Article
Tuning the Optical Properties of Electrospun Poly(methyl methacrylate) Nanofibres via Montmorillonite and Magnetite Ratios
by Yao Mawuena Tsekpo, Weronika Smok, Krzysztof Matus, Barbara Hajduk, Adrian Radoń, Paweł Jarka and Tomasz Tanski
Polymers 2025, 17(3), 384; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17030384 - 31 Jan 2025
Viewed by 985
Abstract
Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) polymer has unlocked new frontiers in the field of nanotechnology and is suitable for a wide range of applications. However, its optical band gap limits its use in optoelectronics. This study aims to ascertain the influence of varying montmorillonite and [...] Read more.
Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) polymer has unlocked new frontiers in the field of nanotechnology and is suitable for a wide range of applications. However, its optical band gap limits its use in optoelectronics. This study aims to ascertain the influence of varying montmorillonite and magnetite ratios on the optical properties of electrospun PMMA nanofibres produced from solution. The nanofibres were characterised using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), spectroscopic ellipsometry, and UV-Vis spectroscopy (UV-Vis). XRD analysis revealed the successful incorporation of magnetite and montmorillonite within the PMMA matrix, with diameters ranging from 203 to 328 nm. The incorporation of magnetite and montmorillonite altered the light absorption characteristics of PMMA, resulting in increased absorption in the ultraviolet and visible light regions compared to pristine PMMA and a reduction in the optical band gap from 4.9 eV to 2.5 eV. These findings suggest that PMMA is a suitable host matrix for montmorillonite and magnetite. The observed properties also indicate the suitability of the produced materials for optoelectronic applications, including chemical sensors and protective UV coatings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart and Bio-Medical Polymers: 2nd Edition)
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13 pages, 2820 KiB  
Article
Polydopamine Coated Nonspherical Magnetic Nanocluster for Synergistic Dual Magneto-Photothermal Cancer Therapy
by Gracia García-García, Marina Lázaro, Pedro Urquiza, Tania Romacho, Ángel V. Delgado and Guillermo R. Iglesias
Polymers 2025, 17(1), 85; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17010085 - 31 Dec 2024
Viewed by 885
Abstract
Local hyperthermia is gaining considerable interest due to its promising antitumor effects. In this context, dual magneto-photothermal cancer therapy holds great promise. For this purpose, the use of nanomaterials has been proposed. Therefore, the aim of this research is to develop a dual [...] Read more.
Local hyperthermia is gaining considerable interest due to its promising antitumor effects. In this context, dual magneto-photothermal cancer therapy holds great promise. For this purpose, the use of nanomaterials has been proposed. Therefore, the aim of this research is to develop a dual magneto-photothermal agent consisting of polydopamine-coated nonspherical magnetic nanoclusters. The physicochemical characterization of the nanoclusters was performed by electron microscopy, electron dispersive X-ray, dynamic light scattering, electrophoretic mobility, thermogravimetric analysis, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The biocompatibility of the nanoclusters was evaluated using human skin M1 fibroblasts. The potential of the nanoclusters as dual magneto-photothermal agents was investigated by applying an alternating magnetic field (18 kA/m and 165 kHz) and/or NIR laser (850 nm, 0.75 W/cm2). Nanoclusters showed a size of 350 nm consisting of nonspherical magnetic particles of 11 nm completely coated with polydopamine. In addition, they were superparamagnetic and did not significantly affect cell viability at concentrations below 200 µg/mL. Finally, the SAR values obtained for the nanoclusters demonstrated their suitability for magnetotherapy and phototherapy (71 and 41 W/g, respectively), with a synergistic effect when used together (176 W/g). Thus, this work has successfully developed polymeric-coated magnetic nanoclusters with the potential for dual magneto-photothermal cancer therapy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart and Bio-Medical Polymers: 2nd Edition)
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Review

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22 pages, 4227 KiB  
Review
Current Trends for Cementation in Prosthodontics: Part 1—The Substrate
by Tatjana Maravic, Claudia Mazzitelli, Eric Mayer-Santos, Edoardo Mancuso, Stefano Gracis, Lorenzo Breschi and Massimo Fuzzi
Polymers 2025, 17(5), 566; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17050566 - 20 Feb 2025
Viewed by 655
Abstract
With the vast possibilities of restorative dentistry nowadays and the constant development and release of restorative materials with improved mechanical and esthetical properties, there is a growing body of research on adhesive systems and cementation materials, as well as the adequate choices thereof [...] Read more.
With the vast possibilities of restorative dentistry nowadays and the constant development and release of restorative materials with improved mechanical and esthetical properties, there is a growing body of research on adhesive systems and cementation materials, as well as the adequate choices thereof in everyday clinical practice. There are high demands from the dental cements with regard to their adhesion to various substrates and restorative materials, their mechanical properties, resistance to dissolution in the oral environment, esthetic considerations, etc. A material that meets all these requirements is not yet available, and each available material presents certain shortcomings. However, thanks to the advancements in dental material research, polymers-based cements have gained admirable mechanical and esthetic properties, as well as versatility. With the plethora of products available on the market, clinicians are often faced with difficulties in the choice of a material adequate for certain clinical situations. Indeed, important factors to consider are the substrate for cementation and the restoration material. The aim of this review was to provide clear and literature-based clinical recommendations for the adequate cementation of prosthodontic restorations with regard to the cementation substrate. Considering that there is no gold standard protocol applicable in all clinical cases, since the properties of the cementation abutment could substantially differ, important individual considerations must be made for each situation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart and Bio-Medical Polymers: 2nd Edition)
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