The role of polymers in analytical medical applications: A review

Abstract

Many analytical methods have been developed by incorporating polymeric materials as an essential component. Polymers have a wide range of applications due to their easily tunable properties, such as their viscoelasticity, chemical and mechanical resistance, and versatility. In addition, a wide extent of synthetic methodologies is available to produce polymeric materials of different structures and morphology, like linear, branched, crosslinked, films, micro- and nanoparticles, fibers, elastomers, thermoplastics and thermorigid. The use of these polymeric materials has drawn attention in the development of sensors, such as actuators, biosensors, and radiation dosimetry systems due to their flexible design and modification into multifunctional responsive platforms sensitive to physical and chemical stimuli. Moreover, their physicochemical properties can be adapted by modifying their chemical structure, and different kinds of molecules can be attached to them to achieve specific functions, i.e. targeting molecules, specific proteins or antibodies against specific epitopes. The design and use of specific polymeric materials in sensors could provide a significant enhancement in their response, sensitivity, and stability. In this review, the effect of the physicochemical properties of most used polymers on the analytical response of the systems studied during the last years have been highlighted. The focus has been placed on their medical application, their use as chemical sensors, actuators, and radiation dosimetry systems. Thereby, this review provides useful tools for choosing suitable polymers to design different types of sensors. Moreover, perspectives and future directions of their applications in the field of medicine and mainly in the development of devices for disease diagnosis, treatment, and prevention have been included. Finally, we have provided a brief overview of the state of the art of the analytical application of polymers in Argentina.