Biodegradable Smart Polymers
Subject Areas :Donya Namadi vosoughi 1 , Fatemeh Zeinoddini 2 , Mehrnoush Mohammadi 3
1 - Department of Chemical Engineering, South Tehran Campus(ST.C.), Islamic Azad University,Tehran, Iran.
2 - Department of Chemical Engineering, South Tehran Campus(ST.C.), Islamic Azad University,Tehran, Iran.
3 - Department of Chemical Engineering, South Tehran Campus(ST.C.), Islamic Azad University,Tehran, Iran.
Keywords: Polymer, Smart, Biodegradable, Natural polymers, Synthetic polymers ,
Abstract :
Biodegradable smart polymers, as a novel class of advanced materials, have garnered significant attention in recent research due to their unique combination of two key features: responsiveness to external stimuli and controlled biodegradability. These polymers react stimuli such as changes in temperature, pH, light and magnetic fields and have been developed in various types including shape-memory, self-healing, piezoelectric and chromogenic. The impressive advantages of these materials, including high biocompatibility, environmental safety and stability, along with the ability to precisely tune their degradation rate, make them suitable for a wide range of applications. Fields such as advanced drug delivery systems, tissue engineering, smart food packaging, biosensors, nanotechnology and smart agriculture are among the most important application areas for these polymers. Recent research focuses on emerging technologies like four-dimensional (4D) printing, the production of nature-inspired self-healing materials and advanced medical applications. However, the development and commercialization of these polymers face challenges such as high production costs and difficulties in precisely controlling the degradation rate. Activities have also been carried out in Iran to produce these materials, which require technological support, effective policymaking and targeted investment for advancement and expansion. These materials, with their vast potential, promise a bright future in various industries
[1] Asadi-Zahraei A., Rabiei Far A., and Taevighi M., A Review on Smart Polymeric Materials: Types and Their Applications in Various Industries (Persian), Proceedings of the
13th International Conference on Materials and Metallurgical Engineering, Karaj, Iran, 2024. [2] Mohamed A.L., Gaffer H., and Elmansy M.F., A Survey of Conventional and Smart Polymers, with an Emphasis on Their Novel Uses in the Textile Industry, J. Text. Color. Polym.
Sci., 21, 239–251, 2024. [3] Perepechko I.I., Introduction to Polymer Physics. Moscow: Mir Publishers, 1st ed., 266 pp.,
1981. [4] Khakzad Esfehlan F., Ali Nezhad Z., Rezaei Shirinabadi A., and Mahdavian A., Smart
Polymers: Introduction and Application (Persian), Basparesh, 2(3), 10–17, 2012. [5] Mohamed R.R., Elshiekh A.O., Mohamed A.M., Abdul M.M., Hamid Kamal H.A., and Heikal A.M., Smart Polymers and Their Different Sustainable Applications, in: Uddin I. (Ed.), Sustainable Nanomaterials: Synthesis and Environmental Applications, 1st ed., Springer,
Singapore, pp. 271–300, 2024. [6] Dewang, Y., Sharma, V., Baliyan, V. K., Soundappan, T., & Singla, Y. K. (2025). Research progress in electroactive polymers for soft robotics and artificial muscle applications. Polymers, 17(6), 746.
[7] Patwary S., Maraz K.M., Shahida S., Ahmed A., and Khan R.A., A Review on the Properties
and Applications of Biodegradable Polymers, GSC Adv. Res. Rev., 9, 13–27, 2021. [8] Kulshrestha N., Biodegradable Polymers in Electronic Devices, in: Inamuddin and Tariq Altalhi (Eds.), Biodegradable Materials and Their Applications, Wiley, Hoboken, NJ, USA, 773–788, 2022.
[9] Stoica M., Bichescu C.I., Crețu C.M., Dragomir M., Ivan A.S., Podaru G., Crețu M.-M., and Stuparu M., Review of Bio-based Biodegradable Smart Polymers: Sustainable Solutions
for Food Packaging, Foods, 13(19), 3027, 2024. [10] Chan Q.H., Alias S.A., Quek S.W., Ng C.Y., and Ku Marsilla K.I., A Review of the Preparations, Properties, and Applications of Smart Biodegradable Polymers, Polymer-Plastics
Technol. Mater., 62(10), 1273–1289, 2023. [11] Dallaev R., Smart and Biodegradable Polymers in Tissue Engineering and Interventional
Devices: A Brief Review, Polymers, 17(14), 1976, 2025. [12] Ma W., Hua D., Xiong R., and Huang C., Bio-based Stimuli-responsive Materials for
Biomedical Applications, Mater. Adv., 4(2), 458–475, 2023. [13] Sun S., Chen C., Zhang J., and Hu J., Biodegradable Smart Materials with Self-healing
and Shape Memory Function for Wound Healing, RSC Adv., 13(5), 3155–3163, 2023. [14] Aliabadi M., Dehghani Firoozabadi M.R., Afra E., Magalhães W.L.E., and Lima G.G., Evaluation of Biodegradable Smart Films Obtained from Cellulose Microfibril Gel and
Yerbamat Plant Extract (Persian), Iranian J. Wood Paper Ind., 15(1), 55–66, 2024. [15] Rostamzad H., Kamali-Sabeti N., and Babakhani A., Production and Evaluation of Biodegradable Smart Films Based on Carrageenan for Packaging Fish Fillet (Persian), Shilat, 72(1), 85–95, 2019.
[16] Abedi-Firoozjah R., and Yousefi M., A Review of Smart Packaging Based on Biodegradable Polymer Films Containing Natural Pigments and Its Importance in the Food Industry (Persian), Proceedings of the 10th International Conference on Food Science, Organic
Agriculture and Food Safety, Iran, 2022. [17] Mahata, K., Paul, S., Kaushik, A. K., & Banerjee, S. (2025). Smart and Functional Polymers for Sustainable Applications in Health, Energy and Environment: Polymer Science.
Innovation of Chemistry & Materials for Sustainability, 2(2), 177-195
