Surface, transforms and interfaces; the SMART direction for polymer science

Interface science of polymer/metal semiconductor ceramic interfaces has to date focused largely on model quasi two-dimensional systems and yet the long-term future is their role in three-dimensional environmentally adaptive, self-repairing ‘SMART’ materials systems, that start to provide a genuine mimic of nature's “composite” materials systems. It is becoming clear that polymer science and technology will play a pivotal role in the emerging ‘chemistry direct to shapes’ era where molecular level design, synthesis and assembly of the spatially resolved ‘active’ materials systems of the future will bypass many of the issues of incommensurate engineering associated with bolt-on actuators, sensors, etc., currently envisaged. The issues of massively parallel information processing to provide a knowledge response mode will also hinge on developments in polymer science and the molecular level control of interface structures. The core competencies required are already becoming apparent and are briefly reviewed in this paper.