Adaptive and responsive surfaces through controlled reorganization of interfacial polymer layers

The present manuscript offers an overview of the current state of affairs within the research field of adaptive and environmentally sensitive polymer surfaces designed to respond to external stimuli in a controlled and predictable manner. Intensive study in the field of the adaptive/responsive surfaces began several decades ago in an attempt to understand relationships between bulk properties/composition of pristine polymeric materials and their surface characteristics. With time, the focus of the research has moved to the design of materials with ‘smart’ or ‘intelligent’ surface behavior. This review describes a number of approaches that has been employed to fabricate such materials, which include but not limited to (a) synthesis of functional polymers with specific composition and architecture; (b) blending of a virgin polymer material with small amounts of (macro)molecular additive; (c) surface modification by various chemical/physical treatment. q 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.