Thoughts on current trends in applied polymer/biopolymer materials for modern functional applications

We discuss current trends in developing novel synthetic polymers, biopolymers, and corresponding soft and functional hybrid nanocomposites for advanced current and future applications with an emphasis on active functional devices and functions. Among a wide variety of polymeric materials and relevant applications, we select the fields, which are close to the authors’ research interests. This selection includes strong but lightweight biopolymer composites, gel-like and porous materials for chemical and energy transport control, fast-actuating responsive materials and structures, and thin film electronic materials for chemical, physical, and biological sensing applications compatible with human and robotic interfaces.