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Polymers
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Smart Polymers for Stimuli-Responsive Devices
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Smart Polymers for Stimuli-Responsive Devices

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 3809

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Cheng Zou

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Advanced Materials and Technology, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, China
Interests: liquid crystals; polymer; light-responsive and multi-stimuli-responsive smart materials and devices
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Smart materials have attracted intensive attention due to their fancy properties and wide applications. Among them, smart polymers develop rapidly both in industry and academic research. There are a lot of smart polymers or polymer composites such as self-healing polymers, liquid crystal dimming films, stimuli-responsive hydrogels, liquid crysltal elastomers, and so on. They have promising applications in smart windows, wearable/implantable devices, soft robotics, sensors, anti-counterfeit labels and so on. In this Special Issue, we aim to unearth the new advances in smart polymers and polymer composites. Any breakthrough on the material or application of smart polymer is welcome. The synergistic coupling of polymers with nanomaterials can spark new ideas about functionality and performance enhancement. Thus, we seek to spotlight discoveries that encompass a wide spectrum of topics and research articles or reviews concerning the topic are both welcome.

Dr. Cheng Zou
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.

Keywords

  • smart materials
  • polymer composites
  • self-healing polymers
  • liquid crystal
  • stimuli-responsive hydrogels
  • elastomers

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

8 pages, 1293 KB  
Communication
Angle-Independent Color Changes in Elastomer-Immobilized Non-Close-Packed Colloidal Amorphous Films Under Stretching
by Yuna Hirano, Koyuki Hayashi and Toshimitsu Kanai
Polymers 2026, 18(3), 382; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym18030382 - 31 Jan 2026
Viewed by 552
Abstract
Colloidal amorphous structures comprise short-range ordered arrays of monodisperse submicrometer-sized particles. They exhibit angle-independent structural color and hence are expected to be promising candidates for advanced color materials. In particular, non-close-packed colloidal amorphous structures embedded in soft polymers can alter the angle-independent color [...] Read more.
Colloidal amorphous structures comprise short-range ordered arrays of monodisperse submicrometer-sized particles. They exhibit angle-independent structural color and hence are expected to be promising candidates for advanced color materials. In particular, non-close-packed colloidal amorphous structures embedded in soft polymers can alter the angle-independent color through stimuli-induced volume changes in the polymer. Consequently, such materials should have significant potential for application in sensor devices. This paper reports the preparation of an elastomer-immobilized non-close-packed colloidal amorphous film with an angle-independent color using a hydrogel-immobilized non-close-packed colloidal amorphous film as the starting material. The swelling solvent (i.e., water) in the hydrogel film was replaced with a hydrophilic elastomer precursor solution, which was photopolymerized to immobilize the colloidal amorphous structure with the separated particles within the elastomer film. The color of the elastomer-immobilized non-close-packed colloidal amorphous film was angle-independent and was easily altered under stretching. Furthermore, hydrophilic carbon black dispersed well in the hydrophilic elastomer precursor solution, improving the saturation of the resultant elastomer-immobilized non-close-packed colloidal amorphous film. The flexible nature of the prepared film should allow it to be attached to curved surfaces, thereby promoting its application as a simple strain sensor to express invisible strains through color changes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Polymers for Stimuli-Responsive Devices)
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19 pages, 2636 KB  
Article
Poly(pyridinium salt)s Containing 9,9-Bis(4-aminophenyl)fluorene Moieties with Various Organic Counterions Exhibiting Both Lyotropic Liquid-Crystalline and Light-Emitting Properties
by Pradip K. Bhowmik, David King, Haesook Han, András F. Wacha and Matti Knaapila
Polymers 2025, 17(13), 1785; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17131785 - 27 Jun 2025
Viewed by 936
Abstract
Main-chain conjugated and non-conjugated polyelectrolytes are an important class of materials that have many technological applications ranging from fire-retardant materials to carbon-nanotube composites, nonlinear optical materials, electrochromic materials for smart windows, and optical sensors for biomolecules. Here, we describe a series of poly(pyridinium [...] Read more.
Main-chain conjugated and non-conjugated polyelectrolytes are an important class of materials that have many technological applications ranging from fire-retardant materials to carbon-nanotube composites, nonlinear optical materials, electrochromic materials for smart windows, and optical sensors for biomolecules. Here, we describe a series of poly(pyridinium salt)s-fluorene containing 9,9-bis(4-aminophenyl)fluorene moieties with various organic counterions that were synthesized using ring-transmutation polymerization and metathesis reactions, which are non-conjugated polyelectrolytes. Their chemical structures were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), proton (1H) and fluorine 19 (19F) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometers, and elemental analysis. They exhibited polyelectrolytic behavior in dimethyl sulfoxide. Their lyotropic liquid-crystalline phases were examined by polarizing optical microscopy (POM) and small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) studies. Their emission spectra exhibited a positive solvatochromism on changing the polarity of solvents. They emitted greenish-yellow lights in polar organic solvents. They formed aggregates in polar aprotic and protic solvents with the addition of water (v/v, 0–90%), whose λem peaks were blue shifted. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Polymers for Stimuli-Responsive Devices)
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Graphical abstract

23 pages, 10159 KB  
Article
Electrically Driven Liquid Crystal Elastomer Self-Oscillators via Rheostat Feedback Mechanism
by Kai Li, Zuhao Li and Lin Zhou
Polymers 2025, 17(5), 617; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17050617 - 25 Feb 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1696
Abstract
The reliance of feedback mechanisms in conventional light-fueled self-oscillating systems on spatially distributed light and intricately designed structures impedes their application and development in micro-robots, miniature actuators, and other small-scale devices. This paper presents a straightforward rheostat feedback mechanism to create an electrically [...] Read more.
The reliance of feedback mechanisms in conventional light-fueled self-oscillating systems on spatially distributed light and intricately designed structures impedes their application and development in micro-robots, miniature actuators, and other small-scale devices. This paper presents a straightforward rheostat feedback mechanism to create an electrically driven liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) self-oscillator which comprises an LCE fiber, a rheostat, a spring, and a mass. Based on the electrothermally responsive LCE model, we first derive the governing equation for the system’s dynamics and subsequently formulate the asymptotic equation. Numerical calculations reveal two motion phases, i.e., static and self-oscillating, and elucidate the mechanism behind self-oscillation. By employing the multi-scale method, we identify the Hopf bifurcation and establish the analytical solutions for amplitude and frequency. The influence of various system parameters on the amplitude and frequency of self-oscillation was analyzed, with numerical solutions being validated against analytical results to ensure consistency. The proposed rheostat feedback mechanism can be extended to cases with rheostats that have more general resistance properties and offers advantages such as simple design, adjustable dimensions, and rapid operation. The findings are expected to inspire broader design concepts for applications in soft robotics, sensors, and adaptive structures. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Polymers for Stimuli-Responsive Devices)
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