Towards next generation polymer surfaces: Nano- and microlayers of star macromolecules and their design for applications in biology and medicine

Star polymers with well-defined molecular architectures have been widely studied in the last few decades. Of particular interest has been processing-structure-property relationships of star polymers in the thin film form and their potential applications in the field of biology and medicine. This review presents the state-of-the-art of research on nano- and microlayers of star polymers on solid substrates explored in the last two decades. We start the discussion with a short introduction to the general features of star polymers to introduce the reader to the subject. Subsequently, methods for the preparation of star polymer nano- and microlayers on solid surfaces and their resulting properties are discussed. Special emphasis will be given to the differences between the properties of layers obtained from star polymers and their linear analogues. The potential of star polymer nano- and microlayers to drive innovations in polymer technology will be illustrated with examples in areas such as antibacterial films, tissue engineering, or in systems delivering bioactive substances. Finally, a brief summary of challenges and future perspectives in the field of this interesting generation of polymeric materials is given.