Reflexive Polymers and Hydrogels

Yui, Nobuhiko; Mrsny, Randall J.; Park, Kinam

• Examining several natural systems that respond rapidly to environmental stimuli, this book provides an understanding of the mechanisms that govern these responses. It considers limitations of reflexive systems, by investigating model systems where selected interactions of specific components are evaluated to determine theoretical limits of response rates and cycle time. The text characterizes the status of artificially prepared materials that could have both thermodynamic and kinetic response events and explores potential future applications of such systems. It includes chapters on how to design synthetic reflexive systems and discusses potential applications in biomedical and pharmaceutical areas.