Chapter 7

Open Questions, Challenges, and Perspectives

Pedro Martins

Pedro Martins

Universidade do Minho, Centro de Física, Campus de Gualtar, Braga, 4710-057 Portugal

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Senentxu Lanceros-Mendez

Senentxu Lanceros-Mendez

Universidade do Minho, Centro de Física, Campus de Gualtar, Braga, 4710-057 Portugal

BCMaterials, Basque Center for Materials, Applications and Nanostructures, Parque Científico y Tecnológico de Bizkaia , Bld 500, 48160 Derio, Spain

IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, Maria Diaz de Haro 3, 48013 Bilbao, Spain

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First published: 07 July 2017

Summary

This conclusion presents some closing thoughts on the key concepts discussed in the preceding chapters of this book. The book summarizes the pronounced evolution of polymer-based magnetoelectric (ME) materials in the past years by presenting the main materials, physicochemical insights, theoretical frameworks, experimental findings, and device applications. It shows that research and development in ME materials and particularly polymer-based ME materials is one of the areas that receive intense research interest and have large potential within the field of smart materials. Compared to ceramic or single-phase MEs, polymer-based ME materials are easier to integrate on a chip and their interfaces can be controlled or designed for enhanced ME coupling or introducing new functionalities - features that can be exploited for many exciting device technologies. The book concludes with a subjective perspective rather with irrefutable conclusions.

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