Elsevier

European Polymer Journal

Volume 80, July 2016, Pages 268-294
European Polymer Journal

Feature Article
Shape-memory polymers for multiple applications in the materials world

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2016.05.004Get rights and content

Highlights

  • SMPs are an emerging class of smart polymer materials with multi-responsiveness.

  • Recent trends in the field of SMPs (conception, fabrication, modeling) are outlined.

  • A new generation multi-functional SMPs containing nanosized fillers is described.

  • The nanocomposites have enhanced mechanical, thermal and shape-memory properties.

  • SMPs are of great interest to fundamental research and technological innovation.

Abstract

Shape-memory polymers (SMPs) as stimuli-responsive shape-changing polymers are of great interest for fundamental research and technological innovation. In this contribution, a brief review of the recent trends in the field of SMPs is presented with particular focus on their structure, shape-memory effects and working mechanism. A special attention is paid to smart multi-responsive and multi-functional SMP materials as emerging technological class. They are mainly described as shape-memory nanocomposites (SMCs) where the incorporation of functional (in)organic nanofillers in the SMP matrices is purposely carried out. Potential applications of the SMCs-based materials as medical and biomimetic devices, self-healing systems, self-deployable structures, actuators, sensors, etc. or their direct implementation in the industry are finally outlined.

Keywords

Shape-memory polymer
Shape-memory composites
Nanofiller
Multi-functional
Multi-responsive

Cited by (0)

Florence Pilate obtained her Master in chemistry from the University of Mons in 2013. She is currently pursuing her doctoral degree as F.R.S-FNRS Research Fellow at the Laboratory of Polymeric and Composite Materials under the supervision of Dr. J-.M. Raquez and Prof. P. Dubois. Her main research activities focus on the design of new shape-memory polymer materials with multi-shape and multi-stimuli properties.

Antoniya Toncheva received a master’s degree in Structural biochemistry (Bordeaux, France) in 2008 followed by a PhD degree in Macromolecular chemistry within the Laboratory of Bioactive Polymers (LBAP, BAS) in 2012 under the supervision of Prof. I. Rashkov. In 2013 she held an assistant professor position with the LBAP. Starting from January 2015 she moved to the University of Mons (Belgium) under the supervision prof. Ph. Dubois for post-doctoral research (BEWARE Academia Marie Curie Actions). Her current scientific focus is on production of micro- and nanostructured materials from biocompatible and biodegradable polymers by electrospinning and reactive extrusion, their characterization, shape-memory properties and potential biomedical application.

Philippe Dubois is full professor at University of Mons (UMONS, Belgium) and director of the Center of Innovation and Research in Materials & Polymers. His expertise covers organic chemistry, macromolecular chemistry, catalysis in polymer materials, melt (reactive) processing/engineering of nanocomposite and nanohybrid materials, incl. biodegradable and biosourced polymers. He has published +630 peer-reviewed scientific articles and is inventor of 66 patents. He is scientific director of Materia Nova research center located in Mons. In 2011, he created a university spin-off Cie named NANO4 S.A., active in production, functionalization and characterization of nanoparticles and their applications as nanofillers in polymer nanocomposites and sol-gel coatings. He is elected titular member of the Royal Academy of Sciences, Belgium.

Jean-Marie Raquez, Ph.D. in Polymer Science, is currently a FNRS-FRS research associate at University of Mons (Belgium) within the Center of Innovation and Research in Materials and Polymers (CIRMAP, ca. 160 persons) and Scientific Coordinator at Materia Nova (Mons, Belgium). His main areas are the chemical modification and synthesis of polymer-based (nano)-composites derived from renewable resource using reactive extrusion processing. In the realm, he has more than ca. 85 peer-reviewed publications in international journals, 30 personal communications at conferences and is co-inventor of seven patents. He has co-edited one book and six chapters of a book.

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F.P. and A.T. contributed equally to this work.

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