Jeong Byeongmoon, Gutowska Anna
Dept of Chemistry, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, South Korea.
Trends Biotechnol. 2002 Jul;20(7):305-11. doi: 10.1016/s0167-7799(02)01962-5.
Response to stimulus is a basic process of living systems. Based on the lessons from nature, scientists have been designing useful materials that respond to external stimuli such as temperature, pH, light, electric field, chemicals and ionic strength. These responses are manifested as dramatic changes in one of the following: shape, surface characteristics, solubility, formation of an intricate molecular self-assembly or a sol-to-gel transition. Applications of stimuli-responsive, or 'smart', polymers in delivery of therapeutics, tissue engineering, bioseparations, sensors or actuators have been studied extensively and numerous papers and patents are evidence of rapid progress in this area. Understanding the structure-property relationship is essential for the further development and rational design of new functional smart materials. For example, kinetic and thermodynamic control of the coil-to-globule transition could be achieved through changes in polymer composition and topology.
对刺激的响应是生命系统的一个基本过程。基于从自然中获得的经验教训，科学家们一直在设计能对温度、pH值、光、电场、化学物质和离子强度等外部刺激做出响应的有用材料。这些响应表现为以下方面之一的显著变化：形状、表面特性、溶解度、形成复杂的分子自组装或溶胶-凝胶转变。刺激响应性或“智能”聚合物在治疗药物递送、组织工程、生物分离、传感器或致动器方面的应用已得到广泛研究，大量的论文和专利证明了该领域的快速进展。理解结构-性能关系对于新型功能智能材料的进一步开发和合理设计至关重要。例如，通过改变聚合物组成和拓扑结构，可以实现对线圈-球体转变的动力学和热力学控制。
