Functional polymers: an introduction in the context of biomedical engineering

Abstract The development of functional polymers has still been an area of immense interest and great importance in biomedical applications. As such, a broad range of approaches for polymerization as well as bioconjugation has been evolved in different contexts. The greatest influence coming out of such efforts is evident as new therapeutic/diagnostic (theranostic) capabilities. The aim of this chapter is to illustrate the part played by functional polymers in emerging biomedical applications, and fast-growing subfields such as tissue engineering, drug delivery, and gene delivery.