Electroactive Polymers and Coatings

Abstract

Electroactive polymers (EAPs) and coatings (EACs) provide an expanding and progressive frontier for responsive drug delivery and the design of biomedical devices. EAPs possess the distinctive propensity to undergo a change in shape and/or size following electrical current activation. Current interest in EAPs and EACs extends to use in controlled drug delivery applications, where an "on-off" mechanism for drug releases would be optimal, as well as application in a biomedical devices and implants. This chapter explores and molecularly characterizes various EAPs such as polyaniline, polypyrrole, polythiophene, and polyethylene, which can ultimately be incorporated into responsive hydrogels in conjunction with, for example, a desired bioactive, to obtain a stimulus-controlled bioactive release system, which can be actuated by the patient, for enhanced specifi city. The institution of hybrids of conducting polymers and hydrogels has also been subjected to increasing investigation as soft EACs, which have been applied, for example, in the improvement of the mechanical and electrical performance of metallic implant electrodes. The various interconnected aspects of EAP-based systems, including their synthesis, proposed modus operandi , physical properties, as well as functionalization approaches for enhancing the performance of these systems, are delineated. The use and comparison of these EAPs and EACs alone, and in conjunction with hydrogels, is further elaborated, together with strategies for integrating electroactive components and hydrogels. Approaches for modeling and explaining the proposed modus operandi of these systems are delineated. A critical review of diverse biomedical systems implementing EAPs and EACs having application in the pharmaceutical and medical industry, specifi cally, is provided, highlighting their applications, potential advantages, and possible limitations. Ultimately, this chapter illuminates innovative approaches for enabling EAP-and EAC-based systems to attain their full clinical potential.

Advancement in the Production and Applications of Conductive Polymers (CPs)

“…The ease and flexibility of synthesizing polypyrrole in mass at ambient temperature in many solvents, including water is the reason for its availability [35][36][37][38]. equipment, computer displays, biosensors, blood conduits, drug delivery system, neural probes, and as a biological material in neural tissue engineering [43][44][45][46][47].…”

A review on electroactive polymers development for aerospace applications

“…Advancement of effective and powerful mechanisms and devices that are actuated by EAP materials needs enhanced understanding of their behaviour, design concepts for efficient actuation, generation and sensing and reliable and repeatable fabrication and characterization methods, as well as effective control algorithms and electronics (Bar-Cohen, 2017; Bundhoo, 2009; Kaasik et al, 2017; Mengmeng et al, 2017; Rus and Tolley, 2015; Wang et al, 2016; Wilson et al, 2007). The current accomplishments and challenges in the field of EAP are noteworthy (Asaka and Nakamura, 2014; Biggs et al, 2013; du Toit et al, 2016; Vinogradov et al, 2005). Kaneto (2016) has shown that the research trends of EAPs and conducting polymers characteristics as given in Table 4.…”

“…Advancement of effective and powerful mechanisms and devices that are actuated by EAP materials needs enhanced understanding of their behaviour, design concepts for efficient actuation, generation and sensing and current accomplishments and challenges in the field of EAP are noteworthy (Asaka and Nakamura, 2014;Biggs et al, 2013;du Toit et al, 2016;Vinogradov et al, 2005). Kaneto (2016) has shown that the research trends of EAPs and conducting polymers characteristics as given in Table 4.…”