Peptide-Based Star Polymers: The Rising Star in Functional Polymers

Abstract

Peptide-based star polymers show great potential as the next-generation of functional polymers due to their structure-related properties. The peptide component augments the polymer’s properties by introducing biocompatible and biodegradable segments, and enhancing their functionalities and structural ordering, which make peptide-based star polymers an attractive candidate in the field of nanomedicine. This article provides a brief summary of the recent developments of peptide-based star polymers synthesised from 2009 onwards. It is evident that the studies conducted so far have only started to uncover the true potential of what these polymers can achieve, and with continued research it is anticipated that peptide-based star polymers will be realised as versatile platforms applicable to broader fields of study, including drug delivery, tissue engineering, biocoatings, bioimaging, and self-directing templating agents.