Polymeric nanomaterials capable of altering volume, color, or shape have attracted significant scientific interests as these materials become increasingly critical in advancing unique technological developments. Design, synthesis, and assembly of nanomaterials with precisely controlled shapes and directional responsiveness are particularly critical in the development of new functional, near-device level materials. Spatial anisotropies are typically introduced by the placement of symmetrically or asymmetrically located responsive components enabling either interactions with the environment manifested by dimensional or color changes, energy storage and transfer, or diffusion. This review outlines recent advances in the synthesis, fabrication, and assembly of isotropic and anisotropic polymer-based nanomaterials in which dimensional, color, and morphological changes are induced by external stimuli. Specifically, core-shell, hollow, Janus, gibbous/inverse gibbous nanoparticles prepared with precisely controlled morphologies capable of spatially responding totemperature, pH, electromagnetic radiation or biological changes are discussed. Recent advances in the nanoparticle surface modifications which are introduced to guide nanomaterials to selectively interact and communicate with the environment are also highlighted. Since high aspect ratio nanomaterials, including polymeric nanowires or nanotubes containing responsive components, are particularly attractive in the development of 3D multi-functional objects, their manufacturing as well as applications are examined. Although many uses of stimuli-responsive nanomaterials in electronics, energy conversion, sensing, or biomedicine and other technologies are already in place, there are limitless opportunities for new applications as long as proper regulatory measures are exercised to elevate the impact of these materials on the environment. Polymeric stimuli-responsive nanomaterials offer a tremendous opportunity for the development of cognitive materials’ systems, particularly when protein-like polymers containing amino acids joined by polypeptide bonds with enzymes or sugar-phosphate moieties as well as other sugar-containing interactions are utilized as building blocks and components of future materials.

能够改变体积，颜色或形状的聚合物纳米材料引起了重大的科学兴趣，因为这些材料在推进独特技术发展中变得越来越重要。具有精确控制的形状和方向响应性的纳米材料的设计，合成和组装在新的功能性，接近器件级的材料的开发中尤为关键。空间各向异性通常是通过放置对称或不对称的响应组件而引入的，这些响应组件使与尺寸或颜色变化，能量存储和传递或扩散所体现的环境发生交互作用。这篇综述概述了在各向同性和各向异性聚合物基纳米材料的合成，制造和组装方面的最新进展，其中尺寸，颜色，形态变化是由外部刺激引起的。具体地，讨论了以能够在空间上响应温度，pH，电磁辐射或生物学变化的精确控制的形态制备的核-壳，空心，Janus，球状/逆球状纳米颗粒。还着重介绍了纳米颗粒表面改性的最新进展，其被引入以引导纳米材料选择性地与环境相互作用和连通。由于包括聚合物纳米线或含有响应成分的纳米管在内的高深宽比纳米材料在3D多功能物体的开发中特别有吸引力，因此，对它们的制造和应用进行了研究。尽管刺激响应性纳米材料在电子，能量转换，传感，或生物医学和其他技术已经到位，只要采取适当的监管措施来提高这些材料对环境的影响，新应用就有无限的机会。聚合物刺激响应性纳米材料为认知材料系统的开发提供了巨大的机会，特别是当包含氨基酸的蛋白质样聚合物（其通过多肽键与酶或糖-磷酸基团结合）以及其他含糖相互作用被用作建筑材料时未来材料的模块和组件。