Bioinspired and Biomimetic Polymers

Dear Colleagues,

Natural polymers, such as polysaccharides, proteins, and DNA, regulate key functions of biological systems owing to their sophisticated structures endowing them with extraordinary properties. The molecular functionalities of natural polymers, and their macromolecular structures and properties, provide inspiration for designing different classes of high-performance polymeric materials that aim to reproduce specific functions of natural polymers, such as adaptability, self-healing, adhesiveness, surface superwettability and superhydrophobicity, chiral recognition, and bioactivity. The field of bioinspired and biomimetic polymers is rapidly expanding in diverse technological sectors, including pharmacology, tissue engineering, the aerospace industry, optical materials and lightweight structural materials, and biosensors. Biomimetic synthetic polymers and hybrid polymer-materials have the advantage of combining desired functions with tailored morphology and superior chemical and physical stability.

Bioinspired and biomimetic polymers aims to cover all aspects of the subject, including, for instance, the synthesis of hybrid polymer/biomolecule conjugates and blends, self-assembling polymers, chiral polymers and surfaces, films, functional polymer brushes, nanocomposites and nanocomposite hydrogels, and supramolecular polymer structures, without forgetting studies of structure-property relationships, fabrication of materials with precise structural control and advanced properties, and applications of bioinspired polymers in all the different fields mentioned above.

This Special Issue welcomes reports on recent findings and reviews from experts in this frontier sector.

Prof. Elisabetta Ranucci
Prof. Paolo Ferruti
Dr. Amedea Manfredi
Dr. Jenny Alongi
Guest Editors