Abstract
The first part of this chapter discusses stimuli-responsiveness bioactive polymers based on lower critical solution temperature behavior, responsiveness to glucose, polymer gels, boronic acid, enzyme- and antigen-responsive polymers, as well as drug delivery systems. The design and synthesis of dynamic surface responses in biological environments that display antimicrobial, anticoagulant, and/or antifouling properties is the focus of remaining sections. Surface modifications of polymers using chemical and physical processes may involve layer-by-layer (lbl), ligand-receptor, microwave plasma, UV grafting, and solvent-based functionalization, and general approaches of covalent attachment of multilayers to tether pH-responsive ‘switching’ polyelectrolytes and bacteriophages.
Publisher
The Royal Society of Chemistry