Polymeric materials have gained too much attention in the past few decades because of their suitable properties that makes these materials applicable for various biomedical applications. More specifically, biopolymers have gained main attraction because of their properties like inexpensiveness, renewability, biocompatibility, and biodegradability. Additionally, these smart polymeric biomaterials are sensitive to some physical factors like magnetic field, electric field, light intensity, pH, humidity, and temperature. Moreover, this book chapter will briefly cover smart biomaterials, i.e., smart memory polymers (SMP), which are used in biomedical applications. The applications of these materials for tissue engineering and drug delivery is mainly covered. This book chapter will help to develop a brief idea for the readers on smart polymeric biomaterials.
Top1. Introduction
Biomaterials are materials that are used in medical applications to interact with biological systems, such as living tissue or organs. These materials can be natural or synthetic and are designed to be cytocompatible, meaning that they have not any adverse reactions in the body. Biomaterials have various applications in medical devices, implants, drug delivery systems which include polymers, metals, ceramics, and composites. Because of their durability and strength, metals like titanium and stainless steel are employed in orthopaedic implants. Polymers based biomaterials also known as biopolymers excel in medical applications due to their distinctive properties such as biocompatibility, biodegradability, and versatility. Biopolymers, or biologically degradable polymers, are those that are created by living things. In a nutshell, Polymer-based biomolecules consist of monomeric elements connected covalently and they are frequently bearable and renewable resources since they are arranged from alive (plant) ingredients that can be continually recreated. It play a remarkable range of roles in human body, including holding cells together to form tissues and sending the cells tiny chemical cues to control their behaviour (Kumar et al., 2022). Research on biopolymers is a great interest in both academia and industry since 1960 (Wichterle et al., 1960). Biopolymers can be produced from natural and fossil sources (Yadav et al., 2015) (Azimi et al., 2020). Several functional groups have been included into the molecular sequence to govern the chemical, physical, and natural belongings of the diversity of biopolymers for a number of biomedical uses, including the controlled administration of bioactive substances and cell-based therapies (Kwon et al., 1991) (Hoffman., 2012) (Khan et al., 2017). However, the biological applications of these material systems are determined by their cytocompatibility, relations to cells that are alive, their macromolecular structure, and how they aggregate to form three-dimensional structures (Ajay et al., 2023). If applied in settings where they increase functionality and produce additional benefits, biopolymers have unmatched advantages over standard plastics. By using these materials in live systems, it may be possible to lessen the toxicity and simulation of chronic inflammation that typically occur while a synthetic polymer method is transplanted into the host (Yates et al., 2013). Biopolymers modified for mechanical and electrical properties. (Van de Velde et al., 2002) (Kim et al., 2020). For usage in biomedical applications, biomaterial scientists have consistently sought to develop new methods, produce innovative medical equipment, and process and synthesise novel biomaterials. The majority of synthetic biomaterials now used in tissue engineering (TE) are created either from natural sources or by specifically modifying forms, sizes, porosities, and architectural structures for TE applications (Weigel et al., 2006) (Barua et al., 2020) (Khan et al., 2015) (Tsang et al., 2007).