A facile photo-polymerization method for reconfigurable shape memory polymers

This paper reports a facile preparation of re-configurable shape memory polymer (SMP) with photo-polymerization method. A novel SMP was successfully prepared from the photo-curable resin synthesized with hexamethylenediacrylate and 1,6-Hexanedithiol. The photo-cured polymer forms semi-crystalline reversible phase and chemically cross-linked netpoints. They show good thermal-induced shape memory effect with about 92% shape fixity and about 99% shape recovery. Moreover, the photo-cured SMPs have excellent thermal-induced shape reconfiguration properties. A new permanent shape could be reconfigured easily by heat treatment at 130 °C. It is thus proposed that the photo-curable resin could be used as “printing ink” for SMP 4D printing applications.