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reportNano-polymers
3.5.5 Applications and perspectives

• Polymer nanostructure (In a basic research stage they are investigated as drug delivery systems and for tissue engineering. More advanced applications are utilizations in field emission arrays and OLEDs. Closest to market entry (towards the end of the decade) are applications in solar cells, as electrode and sensor materials and as nanomambranes for filters. Nano-polymers are also increasingly contained in medical implants.)
• Nanostructured polymer-films (Nanostructured PMMA-films are utilized in the biomedical sector e. g. for tissue engineering or the surface design of medical implants. They are currently commercially available. Utilization as photo resist in micro lithography is at market entry. Polyalcylthiophene-films are investigated for usage in photodetectors, field effect transistors and LEDs, whereas nanostructured polystyrene-polyethylene oxide (PS-PEO) films are developed for chemical and thermal insulation, for bio-medical surfaces or for polymer electrolyte batteries. Both film types are currently in the applied research stage.
• Polymer-coatings (Nanoscale polymer films for utilization in biological coatings, thin film transistors, displays, diodes, solar cells batteries etc. Also lubricant coatings based on styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene (SEBS) nanofilms are investigated. All developments are in a medium applied research stage with market realizations to be expected towards 2015.)
• Polymer nanoparticles (Utilization as additive to rubber and oil products. In drug delivery polyalcylbenzene-polydiene nanoparticles (PAB-PDM) have been demonstrated as drug delivery systems. All mentioned applications are at the barrier to market entry. Polymer nanoparticles are even discussed for quantum computing. Realizations are only expected on a long run.)
• Polymer nanotubes and nanowires (Utilization for gas sensing, material in batteries and super capacitors, in molecule transport, drug delivery, tissue engineering. Polymer nanotubes and nanowires are currently the applied research state with more widespread use within 5-10 years.)
• Polymer nanofibers (Utilization within the bio-medical sector. Main applications are drug delivery systems, fliter materials, base materials for tissue engineering and bio-medical implants. Polymer nanofiber applications are in a medium applied research state. Market maturity may be expected towards the middle of the next decade.)
• Dendrimers (Main application areas are in the bio-medical sector. They are investigated as drug delivery systems, for protein or enzyme modelling, for bio-medical coatings, transfection applications etc. Other application areas are as additives to inks and paints, in OLEDs, solar cells, as material in sensors and detectors etc. Dendrimers are currently mainly in a transition state between basic and applied research.)

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