Redefining polymer science via multi-stimulus responsiveness

Driven by synthetic advances combined with the ability of processing and characterization methods, multi-stimulus responsive (MSR) polymers offer technological opportunities with significant societal impacts. The purpose of this perspective is not to itemize every possible MSR polymer system but instead to highlight recent advances along with current and future trends that redefined modern polymer science. In the context of spatiotemporal and energetic requirements, this perspective explores multi-stimulus responses driven by compositional, structural, and hierarchical macromolecular arrangements, where multi-stimulus may be achieved by combining mechano-responsiveness, pH changes, electromagnetic radiation, magnetic/electric fields, redox reactions, humidity and temperature changes, solvents and gases, or biologically triggered responses. Multi-stimulus responses may be orthogonal, competitive, or synergistic and governed by the redefined principles in developing polymers with signaling and communications, encoding phenotypic properties with precisely defined sequences, programmable assembly/disassembly, and recognition attributes, and MSR materials will pave the next generations of ingenious technological advances with living-like attributes.