Stimuli‐Responsive Functional Polymeric Materials: Recent Advances and Future Perspectives

Abstract Inspired by the extreme structural complexity and functional efficiency of biomolecules, researchers have developed stimuli‐responsive materials, capable of adapting their structural conformations and physicochemical properties upon external changes in temperature, pH, light, etc. These materials can expand, contract, or bend in response to external stimuli, which makes them useful for a variety of applications such as biomedicine, sensors, shape‐memory devices, and smart interface materials. Multistimuli‐responsive materials exhibit enhanced features than single‐/dual‐responsive materials, affording enhanced fine tuning of their parameters. Among such materials, reversibly cross‐linked networks have generated increasing interest recently due to their 3D architecture and unique properties, based on the low viscosity, good solubility, and high functionality of the building blocks, which can be further modified. In order to achieve dynamic self‐assembly, future research on stimuli‐responsive macromolecular self‐assembly should mimic thec structures, functions, and processes found in nature.