A field effect transistor (FET) whose gate surface has been modified with a stimuli-responsive "smart" polymer gel can visualize the kinetics of the chemo-mechanical signal transduction as a mode of its altered electrical characteristics without any labels.

Smart hydrogels, or stimuli-responsive hydrogels, are three-dimensional networks composed of crosslinked hydrophilic polymer chains that are able to dramatically change their volume and other properties in response to environmental stimuli such as temperature, pH and certain chemicals. Rapid and significant response to environmental stimuli and high elasticity are critical for the versatility o...

Short interfering RNA (siRNA) targeted against anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 protein proved to knockdown its expression and trigger cancer cell death. We used degradable, pH-sensitive, comb-like [P(EAA-co-BMA)-b-PNASI-g-P(HMA-co-TMAEMA)] polymer to condense anti-Bcl-2 siRNA into "smart" particles, which proved to shuttle their cargo past the endosomal membrane and into the cytoplasm of HeLa and UM-SCC-1...

Two kinds of humidity-induced, bendable smart clothing have been designed to reversibly adapt their thermal insulation functionality. The first design mimics the pores in human skin, in which pre-cut flaps open to produce pores in Nafion sheets when humidity increases, as might occur during human sweating thus permitting air flow and reducing both the humidity level and the apparent temperature...

Polymers that respond to small changes in environmental stimuli with large, sometimes discontinuous changes in their physical state or properties are often called "intelligent" or "smart" polymers. We have conjugated these polymers to different recognition proteins, including antibodies, protein A, streptavidin, and enzymes. These bioconjugates have been prepared by random polymer conjugation t...

In the recent decades, polymers are widely used as biomaterials due to their favorable properties such as good biocompatibility, easy design and preparation, a variety of structures and interesting bio-mimetic character. Especially in the field of smart drug delivery, polymer played a significant role because it can deliver therapeutic agents directly into the intended site of action, with supe...

An amidine-based polymer was prepared by combination of RAFT polymerization and "click" reaction, and the polymer undergoes a hydrophobic-hydrophilic transition upon the stimulus of CO(2).