Smart functionalities

Smart Functionally Graded Material without Bending Deformation... 

Introduction of environmentally responsive properties to the gene delivery vehicles that trigger external stimuli programmable changes in conformation and properties can provide polyplexes with smart functionalities. Thus, several conflicting issues, e.g. high polyplex stability in the extracellular milieu vs. smooth release of the payload nucleic acids within cells. 

The unique properties of pH-responsive polymers arise from the facile pH adjustment, which induces ionic interaction and hydrogen bonding, resulting in a reversible microphase separation or self-organization phenomenon. Thus, pH-responsive polymeric systems provide the possibility of preparation of smart functional materials that can be used for potential therapeutic applications, for example, controlled dmg delivery based on pH-triggered release. 

It will be necessary that thermodynamics scientists will also make major advances in this field of nanomolecules and smart functional materials and will thus be able to contribute to the optimization of the production processes for these complex materials. I am convinced that this will require a move from process thermodynamics to a more product/material-oriented approach, and thus will call for a thourough understanding of the phase behavior of such complex materials. 

In particular, the combination of microcapsules and coatings or laminates allows the introduction of new smart functionalities that often are not possible with any other existing technology. The combination of these technologies holds great promise for the textile industry in the future, not only for clothing and interior textiles but also in technically advanced textiles. The possibilities are virtually unlimited. 

It is desirable from many aspects to examine those coatings in coated and laminated structures which are able to contribute to properties other than strength and barrier. The polymeric components in these structures could be provided with smart functions such as shape-memory and phase-change effects. During the past few years, some interesting developments have taken place with regard to smart... 

This research project was undertaken as a bachelor thesis in the study of textile engineering and management. It was carried out at the Smart Functional Materials Department at Research Centre Design and Technology, Saxion University of Applied Sciences, Enschede, The Netherlands. 

Smart materials can sense the environment and/or their own state, make a judgment and then respond by changing their functions according to a predetermined purpose. Such smart functions are distinct from smart systems because they do not rely on the comphcated sense-response structure of a feedback system. Instead, smart materials are intrinsically sensitive to changes in their environment such as temperature, optical wavelength, absorbed gas molecules or pH values. 

In smart polymer applications in textiles, PCMs and colour change polymers mostly take the form of microcapsules. A microcapsule is an intermediate state which is added to solutions, fibres, films and nonwovens to incorporated a smart function into the textile. These materials may be incorpated into textiles by printing, coating and dyeing. For printing and coating, the materials are microencapsulated first and then coated or printed onto the fabric surface by common methods such as the pad-dry-cure process. 

Smart polymers exhibit various properties. But how to use these functions in textiles is important for the smart function transformed from polymer to fibres and fabrics. The following contents introduce the functions transformation of smart polymers by various forms such as fibre, solution, film and different processing methods such as spinning, finishing, lamination and coating. 

F. Barrere, T.A. Mahmood, K. de Groot, C.A. van Blitterswijk, Advanced biomateiials for skeletal tissue regeneration instructive and smart functions. Mater. Sci. Eng. R 59 (2008) 38-71. 

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