Polyimide as a biomedical material: advantages and applications

Abstract

As a class of polymers, polyimides (PIs) are characterized by strong covalent bonds, which have the advantages of high thermal weight, low weight, good electronic properties and superior mechanical properties. They have been successfully used in the fields of microelectronics, aerospace engineering, nanomaterials, lasers, energy storage and painting. Its biomedical application has attracted extensive attention, and it has been explored for its use as an implantable, detectable, and antibacterial material in recent years. This article summarizes the progress of PI in terms of three aspects: synthesis, properties, and application. First, the synthetic strategies for PI are summarized. Then, the properties of PI as a biological or medical material are analyzed. Finally, the applications of PI in electrodes, biosensors, drug delivery systems, bone tissue replacements, face masks or respirators, and antibacterial materials are introduced. The present review provides a comprehensive understanding of the newest progress of the PI, thereby providing a basis for developing new potentially promising materials for medical applications.