Polyelectrolyte intelligent gels. Design and applications

TL;DR

This paper reviews the design, stimuli response mechanisms, biomedical applications, and modeling of polyelectrolyte intelligent gels, highlighting their potential and challenges in various scientific and medical fields.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of polyelectrolyte smart gels, including their response mechanisms, applications, limitations, and a continuous modeling approach for their electromechanochemical behavior.

Findings

Stimuli influence on gel response analyzed

Biomedical applications reviewed

Quantitative modeling of gel behavior described

Abstract

In this chapter polyelectrolyte intelligent gels are examined along three broad lines. The effects of different physical, chemical and biological stimuli on gels response are analysed and mechanisms of response are outlined. The broad range of biomedical applications of smart gels is reviewed and limits and perspectives of the proposed techniques and devices are crititically discussed. Finally, continuous modelling of gel electromechanochemistry is described, providing quantitative tools to assess swelling equilibrium conditions and coupled kinetics.