Smart Membranes and Sensors

Book excerpt: This book addresses the reader to use synergistically the concepts of membranes and sensors materials. It contains insightful contributions from leading scientists working in both the fields. The focus is on the fabrication of smart membranes from sensor materials and related impact on many technologically sophisticated areas such as telemedicine, microfluidics, drug delivery targeting, (bio)separation, labs-on-a-chip, textiles, power storage and release, environment monitoring, agro-food safety, cosmetics, architecture, automotive and so on. This book covers various topics, including the choice of materials and techniques for assembling responsive membranes with ability to transport mass, energy and signals on demand; the reader will find through the book an extensive description of the best techniques used to monitor molecular scale events, which are regarded as responsible for the smartness of multifunctional objects and for the conversion of chemical signals into optical, electrical, thermal and mechanical responses. The reader is encouraged to use this cross-disciplinary discussion for his own research. Chemical, biological and physical concepts, expressed through the book, contribute to form a common language, which will allow the reader to discover causes for reflection and innovation, measuring how smart objects with desired properties can be tailored from exiting materials and used flexibly for different developed applications. Specifically: This book deals with materials smartness and suitable techniques to assemble and characterize them in sensor-like membranes. This book shows how ultra-smart functional devices can be accomplished by using traditional raw materials. This book describes particular key events, which control 'sense to react and adapt' mechanisms. The potential of sensor-like membranes in some key strategic fields is examined with particular emphasis on biomedicine, food and textiles markets. The benefits arising from the use of smart membranes are analysed in terms of life quality, safety, and innovation.