Photoinscription of Chain Anisotropy into Polymer Networks
Abstract
Fixing chain orientation within polymeric materials can impart anisotropic mechanical, optical, and electrical properties. Although macroscopic anisotropy in amorphous or liquid crystalline phases has been achieved by cross-linking or by thermoreversible bond shuffling under strain, these methods lack spatial and temporal resolution. Here, we demonstrate a method to controllably write chain anisotropy into polymer networks containing both permanent and light-sensitive bonds. While held under mechanical stress or strain, light initiates a cascade of addition–fragmentation chain transfer reactions, causing photosensitive functional groups to reshuffle, thereby stabilizing the deformed network. Photoinscription of chain anisotropy allows for simplified processing on fully cross-linked networks with spatial and temporal control over chain orientation, thus enabling a spectrum of anisotropic polymeric materials. As an example, we demonstrate how built-in anisotropy of a semicrystalline network encourages crystallization along a preferred direction, leading to fully reversible shape actuation.
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To achieve stress-free reversible shape memory, current approaches rely on introduction of internal stress, typically necessitating two crystalline phases.
“To achieve stress-free reversible shape memory33–36, current approaches rely on the introduction of an internal stress. This typically necessitates the use of two crystalline phases in which the high melting phase provides the internal stress whereas the low melting phase serves as the actuation phase33–35.”
From On demand shape memory polymer via light regulated topological defects in a dynamic covalent network (2020) · cites this paper as [36]
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Jin, B., Song, H., Jiang, R., Song, J., Zhao, Q., & Xie, T. (2018) · Science Advances · doi:10.1126/sciadv.aao3865 · Cited by 497 · see citing works
On demand shape memory polymer via light regulated topological defects in a dynamic covalent network
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- Authors
- Meng, Y., Yang, J.-C., Lewis, C. L., Jiang, J., & Anthamatten, M.
- Affiliations
- University of Rochester (US)
- Laboratory for Laser Energetics (US)
- Corresponding author
- Anthamatten, Mitchell
- Venue
- Macromolecules
- Publisher
- American Chemical Society (ACS)
- Published
- 2016-11-21
- Volume
- 49
- Issue
- 23
- Pages
- 9100-9107
- ISSN
- 0024-9297 (ISSN-L)
- 1520-5835
- OpenAlex
- W2549293105
- Cited by
- 38
- References
- 31
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 2
- FWCI
- 2.96
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Macromolecules (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Division of Electrical, Communications and Cyber Systems (1530540)
- U.S. Department of Energy (DE-FC52-08NA28302)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Mechanical Engineering › Advanced Materials and Mechanics
- Physical Sciences › Materials Science › Polymers and Plastics › Polymer composites and self-healing
- Physical Sciences › Materials Science › Polymers and Plastics › Polymer crystallization and properties
- Keywords
- polymer networks, chain orientation, addition-fragmentation chain transfer, crosslinked networks, semicrystalline polymers, directional crystallization, anisotropic polymers
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