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Electroactive Smart Polymers for Biomedical Applications

2019; Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute; Volume: 12; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.3390/ma12020277

1996-1944

Humberto Palza, Paula A. Zapata, Carolina Angulo-Pineda,

Conducting polymers and applications

The flexibility in polymer properties has allowed the development of a broad range of materials with electroactivity, such as intrinsically conductive conjugated polymers, percolated conductive composites, and ionic conductive hydrogels. These smart electroactive polymers can be designed to respond rationally under an electric stimulus, triggering outstanding properties suitable for biomedical applications. This review presents a general overview of the potential applications of these electroactive smart polymers in the field of tissue engineering and biomaterials. In particular, details about the ability of these electroactive polymers to: (1) stimulate cells in the context of tissue engineering by providing electrical current; (2) mimic muscles by converting electric energy into mechanical energy through an electromechanical response; (3) deliver drugs by changing their internal configuration under an electrical stimulus; and (4) have antimicrobial behavior due to the conduction of electricity, are discussed.