Smart Polymers: Applications in Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Second Edition

Book Preface

Smart polymers are macromolecules capable of undergoing rapid, reversible phase transitions from a hydrophilic to a hydrophobic microstructure. These transitions are triggered by small shifts in the local environment, such as slight variations in temperature, pH, ionic strength, or the concentration of specific substances like sugars.

Smart polymers have an extensive range of applications, but this book focuses solely on their roles within the fields of bioseparation and biomedicine. Until recently,  within these fields. The first edition of this volume outlined an entirely novel approach that advocated a much more active role for smart polymers within the process of bioseparation. This new edition devotes more attention to theories describing the behavior of smart polymers in three states: in solution, as gels, and when grafted to surfaces.

The field of smart polymers has now matured to the stage where there is a clear need for solid quantitative descriptions and reliable guidelines for the development of new smart polymer systems. This edition focuses on smart gels, especially the fast-responding and macroporous gels, as these gels pave the way to the most promising applications of smart polymers, namely drug release and microfluidics.

This volume was written by the leading scientists involved in research on smart polymers and their applications. It offers a comprehensive overview of both the current state of affairs within this research field and the potential for future developments. The book will be of interest to those working on techniques of bioseparation and bioprocessing, polymer chemists developing new smart polymers, and graduate students in biotechnology.

Table of Contents

1 Phase Transitions in Smart Polymer Solutions and Light Scattering in Biotechnology and Bioprocessing ……………………. 1
Sergey V. Kazakov

2 Responsive Polymer Brushes: A Theoretical Outlook …………. 53
Oleg V. Borisov and Ekaterina B. Zhulina

3 Conformational Transitions in Cross-Linked Ionic Gels: Theoretical Background, Recent Developments, and Applications ……………………………………………………………..81
Sergey Starodubtsev, Valentina Vasilevskaya, and Alexei Khokhlov

4 Thermally Responsive Polymers with Amphiphilic Grafts: Smart Polymers by Macromonomer Technique …………………. 115
Antti Laukkanen and Heikki Tenhu

5 Microgels from Smart Polymers ……………………………………….. 137
Nighat Kausar, Babur Z. Chowdhry, and Martin J. Snowden

6 Protein-Based Smart Polymers ………………………………………….. 177
J. Carlos Rodríguez-Cabello, Javier Reguera, Susana Prieto, and Matilde Alonso

7 Imprinting Using Smart Polymers…………………………………….. 211
Carmen Alvarez-Lorenzo, Angel Concheiro, Jeffrey Chuang, and Alexander Yu. Grosberg

8 Smart Hydrogels ………………………………………………………………. 247
Kong Jilie and Mu Li

9 Macroporous Hydrogels from Smart Polymers………………….. 269
Oguz Okay

10 Smart Boronate-Containing Copolymers and Gels at Solid–Liquid Interfaces, Cell Membranes, and Tissues …….. 299
Alexander E. Ivanov, Igor Yu. Galaev, and Bo Mattiasson

11 Drug Delivery Using Smart Polymers: Recent Advances…… 331
Nicholas A. Peppas

12 Polymeric Carriers for Regional Drug Therapy…………………. 359
Anupama Mittal, Deepak Chitkara, Neeraj Kumar, Rajendra Pawar, Avi Domb, and Ben Corn

13 Smart Polymers in Affinity Precipitation of Proteins ………… 401
Ashok Kumar, Igor Yu. Galaev, and Bo Mattiasson

14 Hydrogels in Microfluidics……………………………………………….. 437
Jaisree Moorthy
Index ……………………………………………………………………………………….. 459