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Applied Sciences
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Stimuli Responsive Materials
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Stimuli Responsive Materials

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Materials Science and Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2021) | Viewed by 14106

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Paola Lova

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, Università degli Studi di Genova, Via Dodecaneso 31, 16146 Genova, Italy
Interests: polymer photonics; responsive polymers; sensors; polymer sciences; smart materials

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Recent technological advances in the field of polymer sciences revealed exciting new applications based on finely-engineered smart materials which are able to change their properties in a predictable manner when perturbated by specific stimuli. These materials can indeed modify their physicochemical state when stimulated with light, heat, chemical environment, magnetic fields, etc. In turn, such perturbations induce a specifically engineered response, thus allowing the development of sensors, actuators, self-healing artefacts, artificial tissues, membranes, and smart optical responsive systems. Therefore, this is a highly interdisciplinary topic that merges fundamental and applied sciences. The former include chemistry, physics, and materials sciences, which are deeply involved in the processes related to the design and fabrication of responsive materials, including both polymers and inorganics. The latter include medicine, biology, and engineering, which are involved the development of smart devices and artefacts.

This Special Issue is devoted to original research and reviews covering any aspect of the design, computation, fabrication, response mechanisms, and applications of stimuli-responsive polymers, molecular systems, and inorganic and composite materials. Authors are therefore invited to submit their latest results. Full papers, communications, and reviews devoted to innovations and challenges related to the topic are welcome.

Dr. Paola Lova
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Stimuli-responsive materials
  • Smart materials
  • Sensors
  • Actuators
  • Responsive polymers
  • Composites

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 3035 KiB  
Article
Investigation of the LCST-Thermoresponsive Behavior of Novel Oligo(Ethylene Glycol)-Modified Pentafluorostyrene Homopolymers
by Chiara Pelosi, Elisa Guazzelli, Matteo Calosi, Luca Bernazzani, Maria Rosaria Tiné, Celia Duce and Elisa Martinelli
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(6), 2711; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app11062711 - 18 Mar 2021
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2193
Abstract
Amphiphilic tetrafluorostyrene monomers (EFS8) carrying in the para position an oligoethylene glycol chain containing 8 oxyethylenic units on average were synthesized and used for preparation via activator regenerated by electron transfer atom transfer radical polymerization (ARGET-ATRP) of the corresponding amphiphilic homopolymers (pEFS8-x) with [...] Read more.
Amphiphilic tetrafluorostyrene monomers (EFS8) carrying in the para position an oligoethylene glycol chain containing 8 oxyethylenic units on average were synthesized and used for preparation via activator regenerated by electron transfer atom transfer radical polymerization (ARGET-ATRP) of the corresponding amphiphilic homopolymers (pEFS8-x) with different degrees of polymerization (x = 26 and 46). Combining light transmittance and nano-differential scanning calorimetry (n-DSC) measurements revealed that pEFS8-x homopolymers displayed a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) thermoresponsive behavior in water solutions. Moreover, n-DSC measurements revealed the presence in heating scans of a broad endothermic peak ascribable to the dehydration process of the polymer single chains (unimers) and their collapse into aggregates. Consistently, dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements showed below the LCST the presence of small nanostructures with a hydrodynamic diameter size Dh of 6–7 nm, which collapsed into concentration-dependent larger multichain aggregates (Dh = 300–3000 nm) above LCST. Interestingly, n-DSC data showed that the unimer-aggregate transition was reversible up to a specific temperature (Trev) of each homopolymer, which in any case was higher than Tmax. When heating above Trev the transition was no longer reversible, causing the shift of Tonset and Tmax at lower values, thus suggesting an increase in hydrophobicity of the polymer systems associated with a temperature-dependent dehydration process. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Stimuli Responsive Materials)
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15 pages, 1991 KiB  
Article
Stimuli-Responsive Photonic Crystals
by Liliana Moscardi, Guglielmo Lanzani, Giuseppe M. Paternò and Francesco Scotognella
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(5), 2119; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app11052119 - 27 Feb 2021
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3629
Abstract
Recently, tunable photonic crystals (PhCs) have received great research interest, thanks to the wide range of applications in which they can be employed, such as light emission and sensing, among others. In addition, the versatility and ease of fabrication of PhCs allow for [...] Read more.
Recently, tunable photonic crystals (PhCs) have received great research interest, thanks to the wide range of applications in which they can be employed, such as light emission and sensing, among others. In addition, the versatility and ease of fabrication of PhCs allow for the integration of a large range of responsive elements that, in turn, can permit active tuning of PhC optical properties upon application of external stimuli, e.g., physical, chemical or even biological triggers. In this work, we summarize the most employed theoretical tools used for the design of optical properties of responsive PhCs and the most used fabrication techniques. Furthermore, we collect the most relevant results related to this field, with particular emphasis on electrochromic devices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Stimuli Responsive Materials)
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Review

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19 pages, 3752 KiB  
Review
Intelligent Packaging for Real-Time Monitoring of Food-Quality: Current and Future Developments
by Andrea Dodero, Andrea Escher, Simone Bertucci, Maila Castellano and Paola Lova
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(8), 3532; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app11083532 - 15 Apr 2021
Cited by 54 | Viewed by 7701
Abstract
Food packaging encompasses the topical role of preserving food, hence, extending the shelf-life, while ensuring the highest quality and safety along the production chain as well as during storage. Intelligent food packaging further develops the functions of traditional packages by introducing the capability [...] Read more.
Food packaging encompasses the topical role of preserving food, hence, extending the shelf-life, while ensuring the highest quality and safety along the production chain as well as during storage. Intelligent food packaging further develops the functions of traditional packages by introducing the capability of continuously monitoring food quality during the whole chain to assess and reduce the insurgence of food-borne disease and food waste. To this purpose, several sensing systems based on different food quality indicators have been proposed in recent years, but commercial applications remain a challenge. This review provides a critical summary of responsive systems employed in the real-time monitoring of food quality and preservation state. First, food quality indicators are briefly presented, and subsequently, their exploitation to fabricate intelligent packaging based on responsive materials is discussed. Finally, current challenges and future trends are reviewed to highlight the importance of concentrating efforts on developing new functional solutions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Stimuli Responsive Materials)
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