Other Promising Applications

In the last few years there have been new creative methods of preparation of novel hydrophilic polymers and hydrogels that may represent the future in drug delivery applications. The focus in these studies has been the development of polymeric structures with precise molecular architectures. Stupp et al. (1997) synthesized self-assembled triblock copolymer, nanostructures that may have very promising applications in controlled drug delivery. Novel biodegradable polymers, such as polyrotaxanes, have been developed that have particularly exciting molecular assemblies for drug delivery (Ooya and Yui, 1997). 

One of the most recent developments in the application of hydrogels have been in the field of microfluidics and microsensors. Peppas et al. (Bashir et al., 2002 Hilt et al., 2002) have successfully composed a 

Anderson, J. M., Komis, T., Nelson, T., Horst, M., and Love, D. S., The Slow Release of Hydrocortisone Sodium Succinate from Poly(2-Hydroxyethyl Methacrylate) Membranes, in Hydrogels for Medical and Related Applications (J. D. Andrade, Ed.), American Chemical Society Washington, pp. 167-178. 1976. 

Bashir, R., Hilt, J. Z., Elibol, O., Gupta, A., and Peppas, N. A. Appl. Phys. Lett. 81, 3091-3093 

Brannon-Peppas, L., and Harland, R. S. Absorbent polymer technology, in Studies in Polymer Science , Vol. 8, pp. 278. Elsevier Distributors for the United States and Canada Elsevier Science Pub., Amsterdam, New York, NY, U.S.A. (1990). 

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Other promising applications for porphyrin glyco conjugates are centered on the catalysis and molecular recognition areas. 

In the area of textiles thermally-induced SMP have already reached the mass market [17]. Other promising applications for actively-moving polymers can be found in niches, where their functionality is the key for enabling such specific application such as in the medical devices sector. 

The other promising application is a so-called membrane reactor, which enables hydrocarbons such as methane to be converted into syngas or hydrogen. The technique currently used for syngas production from methane is steam reforming ... 

For the reasons above, the w-complexation sorbents hold a tremendous potential for future applications in purification, some of which will be inclnded for discnssion. The removal of dienes from olefins by AgY and CuY has already been demonstrated and applied in the field (Padin et al., 2001). Other promising applications inclnde ... 

Other promising applications of transition metals in carbene based synthesis result from stoichiometric reactions of particular carbene precursors such as ... 

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