Premium
Photodegradable Polymers for Biotechnological Applications
Author(s) -
Pasparakis George,
Manouras Theodore,
Argitis Panagiotis,
Vamvakaki Maria
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
macromolecular rapid communications
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.348
H-Index - 154
eISSN - 1521-3927
pISSN - 1022-1336
DOI - 10.1002/marc.201100637
Subject(s) - polymer , nanotechnology , polymer science , self healing hydrogels , polymerization , materials science , polymer chemistry , composite material
Photodegradable polymers constitute an emerging class of materials that finds numerous applications in biotechnology, biomedicine, and nanoscience. This article highlights some of the emerging applications of photodegradable polymers in the form of homopolymers, particles and self‐assembled constructs in solution, hydrogels for tissue engineering, and photolabile polymers for biopatterning applications. Novel photochemistries have been combined with controlled polymerization methods, which result in well‐defined photodegradable materials that exhibit light mediated and often controlled fragmentation processes.