Responsive polymers for analytical applications: A review

•Stimuli-responsive polymers can respond to various environmental changes.•The response can lead to a change in the polymer's chemical or physical properties.•The polymer response can be used for a variety of analytical applications, e.g., chromatography, sensing/biosensing.

Stimuli-responsive polymers are capable of translating changes in their local environment to changes in their chemical and/or physical properties. This ability allows stimuli-responsive polymers to be used for a wide range of applications. In this review, we highlight the analytical applications of stimuli-responsive polymers that have been published over the past few years with a focus on their applications in sensing/biosensing and separations. From this review, we hope to make clear that while the history of using stimuli-responsive polymers for analytical applications is rich, there are still a number of directions to explore and exciting advancements to be made in this flourishing field of research.

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