Stimuli−responsive polymers respond with large property changes to small physical or chemical stimuli. These functional polymers are known as “smart”, “intelligent”, “stimuli−responsive”, or “environmentally sensitive” polymers. They can take many forms: they may be dissolved in aqueous solution, adsorbed or grafted on aqueous−solid interfaces, or cross−linked in the form of hydrogels. Many dif...

Smart shape-memory polymers can memorize and recover their permanent shape in response to an external stimulus (for example, heat). They have been extensively exploited for a wide spectrum of applications ranging from biomedical devices to aerospace morphing structures. However, most of the existing shape-memory polymers are thermoresponsive and their performance is hindered by heat-demanding p...

Interest in stimuli-responsive polymers is steadily gaining increasing momentum especially in the fields of controlled and self-regulated drug delivery. Delivery systems based on these polymers are developed to closely resemble the normal physiological process of the diseased state ensuring optimum drug release according to the physiological need. Also termed 'environmental-sensitive' or 'smart...

A great deal of research on polymers over the past two decades has been focused on the development of stimuli-responsive polymers to obtain materials able to respond to specific surroundings. In this paper, an overview is presented of the concepts, behavior and applicability of these “smart polymers”. Polymers that are temperatureor pH-sensitive are discussed in detail, including the response m...