Abstract
Shape memory polymers (SMPs) as a relatively new class of smart materials have gained increasing attention in academic research and industrial developments (e.g., biomedical engineering, aerospace, robotics, automotive industries, and smart textiles). SMPs can switch their shape, stiffness, size, and structure upon being exposed to external stimuli. Electrospinning technique can endow SMPs with micro-/nanocharacteristics for enhanced performance in biomedical applications. Dynamically changing micro-/nanofibrous structures have been widely investigated to emulate the dynamical features of the ECM and regulate cell behaviors. Structures such as core-shell fibers, developed by coaxial electrospinning, have also gained potential applications as drug carriers and artificial blood vessels. The clinical applications of micro-/nanostructured SMP fibers include tissue regeneration, regulating cell behavior, cell growth templates, and wound healing. This review presents the molecular architecture of SMPs, the recent developments in electrospinning techniques for the fabrication of SMP micro-/nanofibers, the biomedical applications of SMPs as well as future perspectives for providing dynamic biomaterials structures.
Highlights
Published: 6 April 2021Stimuli-responsive materials have recently gained increasing attention in academic research and industrial developments as a relatively new class of materials that switch between a temporary and a permanent shape in response to a specific stimulus, including heat, pH-change, electrical or magnetic field, ultrasonic waves, and light
A design strategy for reversible thermally induced shape memory polymers (SMPs) is based on liquid crystalline elastomers (LCE) which undergo a transition between an isotropic and anisotropic phase (Figure 3a)
While traditional electrospinning was limited to the polymers featuring good spinnability, the coaxial electrospinning method provided a simple way to use the polymers without spinnability in fibrous structure [142]
Summary
Stimuli-responsive materials have recently gained increasing attention in academic research and industrial developments as a relatively new class of materials that switch between a temporary and a permanent shape in response to a specific stimulus, including heat, pH-change, electrical or magnetic field, ultrasonic waves, and light. Per volume unit, small diameters, high porosity, and low density In virtue of such features, discovered that SMP microfibrous membranes exhibited a considerably faster shape remicro-/nanofibers have been extensively applied in the fields of filtration membranes, covery rate compared to the SMP films of the same materials in the same conditions. SMPs [28], SMPs extensively reviewed previously [5,34,35], the current review mainly focusesinon and the electrospinning of SMPs for the biomedical applications [31] occurred therecent advances inpast the preparation of has shape memory micro-/nanofibrous viaadvances electroDuring the decade, there been a tremendous progress instructures biomedical spinning, sheds light onoftheir biomedical in minimally surgery, using the and remote actuation. The required chemspinning, and sheds light on their biomedical applications in minimally invasive surgery, drug delivery, bone repairs, vascular grafts, wound dressing, and cell regulation
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