Surface-Responsive Materials

• DOI: 10.1126/science.1075997
• Publication Date: 2002-10-01T19:34:46Z
• Authors: T. P. Russell
• Keywords: Chemical Phenomena; Light; Chemistry, Physical; Polymers; Surface Properties; Entropy; Temperature; Water; Biocompatible Materials; 02 engineering and technology; Elastomers; Nanotechnology; 0210 nano-technology

Synthetic polymers offer a wealth of opportunities to design responsive materials triggered by external stimuli. Changing the length, chemical composition, architecture, and topology of the chains allows response mechanisms and rates to be easily manipulated; and devices based on the entropy of the chains, surface energies, and specific segmental interactions can readily be made. Although numerous applications exist, intriguing possibilities are emerging that have tremendous potential to further developments in surface-responsive materials.