Supramolecular Nanotechnology Provides up-to-date coverage of both current knowledge and new developments in the dynamic and interdisciplinary field of supramolecular nanotechnology In recent years, supramolecular nanotechnology has revolutionized research in chemistry, physics, and materials science. These easily manipulated molecular units enable the synthesis of novel nanomaterials for use in a wide range of current and potential applications including electronics, sensors, drug delivery, and imaging. Supramolecular Nanotechnology presents a state-of-the-art overview of functional self-assembling nanomaterials based on organic and polymeric molecules. Featuring contributions by an international panel of experts in the field, this comprehensive volume covers the design of self-assembled materials, their synthesis and diverse fabrication methods, the characterization of supramolecular architectures, and current and emerging applications in chemistry, biology, and medicine. Detailed chapters discuss the synthesis of peptide-based supramolecular structures and polymeric self-assembling materials, their characterization, advanced microscopy techniques, nanostructures made of porphyrins, polyelectrolytes, silica, their application in catalysis and cancer, atomistic and coarse-grained simulations, and more. Presents cutting-edge research on rationally designed, self-assembled supramolecular structures Discusses the impact of supramolecular nanotechnology on current and future research and technology Highlights applications of self-assembled supramolecular systems in catalysis, biomedical imaging, cancer therapies, and regenerative medicine Provides synthetic strategies for preparing the molecular assemblies and various characterization techniques for assessing the supramolecular morphology Describes theoretical modeling and simulation techniques for analyzing supramolecular nanostructures Supramolecular Nanotechnology: Advanced Design of Self-Assembled Functional Materials is essential reading for materials scientists and engineers, polymer and organic chemists, pharmaceutical scientists, molecular physicists and biologists, and chemical engineers.

This contributed volume applies the insights of supramolecular chemistry to biomedical applications such as ions/water transport through nano-scale channels, gene therapy, tissue engineering and drug delivery, to cite some of the major investigations.The challenge is to understand the mechanisms of transport through tissues particularly in the therapeutic treatment of a disease where the active drug must be delivered directly to diseased cells without affecting healthy cells. As a result, smaller quantities of active substances can be used to treat the disease. Another interest concerns new ways to administer gene therapy. If genes are often delivered to their target cells by adapted viruses, the supramolecular non-viral ‘vectors’ using dynamic nano-frameworks and nano-structures are presented. In addition, it is important to reconstruct damaged tissues by mimicking natural processes in cells and polymers, such as tissue engineering and self-healing. Different options are here discussed: e.g. hydrogels based on chitosan, a carbohydrate polymer, are proving especially promising for tissue engineering and drug delivery. For controlled delivery of drugs or other biologically active compounds, hydrogels sensitive to the most important stimuli in the human body, such as temperature, pH, ionic strength, glucose and biomolecules released by the organism in pathological conditions have been developed. Finally, to assist and validate the experimental studies, computer modelling and simulations of large-sized molecular structures and systems using different molecular dynamics and quantum mechanical techniques are developed based on the experimental and chemistry synthesis. This book is of great interest for graduate students, researchers and health professionals interested in acquiring a better understanding of the mechanisms of medical treatments. In addition, it provides numerous tools to develop better therapies for human diseases.

The increased understanding of molecular aspects associated with chronic diseases, such as cancer and the role of tumor microenvironment, has led to the identification of endogenous and exogenous stimuli that can be exploited to devise “stimuli-responsive” materials for site-specific drug delivery applications. This book provides a comprehensive account on the design, materials chemistry, and application aspects behind these novel stimuli-responsive materials. Setting the scene, the editors open with a chapter addressing the need for smart materials in delivery applications for therapy, imaging and disease diagnosis. The following chapter describes the key physical and chemical aspects of smart materials, from lipids to polymers to hybrid materials, providing the reader with a springboard to delve into the more application oriented chapters that follow. With in-depth coverage of key drug delivery systems such as pH-responsive, temperature responsive, enzyme-responsive and light responsive systems, this book provides a rigorous foundation to the field. A perfect resource for graduate students and newcomers, the closing chapter on regulatory and commercialization challenges also makes the book ideal for those wanting to take the next step towards clinical translation.

Materials for Biomedical Engineering: Nanomaterials-Based Drug Delivery highlights the progress made in the field of nanostructures bioactive materials and their impact on efficient drug delivery towards personalized medicine. Drug delivery is a well investigated and challenging bio-medical field, with promising perspectives in medicine and engineering. This book brings together the latest research findings regarding nanostructured materials and their potential in designing highly efficient and personalized drug delivery systems. - Provides a valuable resource of recent scientific progress, highlighting the most well-known applications of nanostructures in drug delivery systems - Includes novel opportunities and ideas for developing or improving technologies in composites by companies, biomedical industries, and in related sectors - Features at least 50% of references from the last 2-3 years