Programming temporal shapeshifting
Open accessAbstract
Shapeshifting enables a wide range of engineering and biomedical applications, but until now transformations have required external triggers. This prerequisite limits viability in closed or inert systems and puts forward the challenge of developing materials with intrinsically encoded shape evolution. Herein we demonstrate programmable shape-memory materials that perform a sequence of encoded actuations under constant environment conditions without using an external trigger. We employ dual network hydrogels: in the first network, covalent crosslinks are introduced for elastic energy storage, and in the second one, temporary hydrogen-bonds regulate the energy release rate. Through strain-induced and time-dependent reorganization of the reversible hydrogen-bonds, this dual network allows for encoding both the rate and pathway of shape transformations on timescales from seconds to hours. This generic mechanism for programming trigger-free shapeshifting opens new ways to design autonomous actuators, drug-release systems and active implants.
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Autonomous shape-shifting polymers can operate in a trigger-free manner, but at the cost of losing the ability for active manipulation.
“In contrast, autonomous shape-shifting polymers11,12 can operate in a trigger-free manner, but at the cost of losing the ability for active manipulation.”
From Shape memory polymer with programmable recovery onset (2023) · cites this paper as [12]
The Abstract and Discussion describe autonomous shape transformations without an external trigger. But the paper does not establish that trigger-free operation comes at the cost of losing active manipulation; the Results instead describe programming the transformations’ pathway, rate, and onset. Those programmed controls do not necessarily amount to active manipulation during operation, so the claimed trade-off remains unsupported. (LLM, conf=0.84)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredTemporal programming offers a drastically different alternative.
“Temporal programming 11,12 offers a drastically different alternative.”
From Shape memory polymer with programmable recovery onset (2023) · cites this paper as [12]
Temporal programming utilizes supramolecular interactions as the molecular switches for the shape transformation.
“It utilizes supramolecular interactions as the molecular switches for the shape transformation.”
From Shape memory polymer with programmable recovery onset (2023) · cites this paper as [12]
Without requiring any physical triggers, temporally programmable SMP shape-shifting can occur autonomously with its kinetics controllable by tuning the time and temperature during the programming.
“Without requiring any physical triggers, its shape-shifting can occur autonomously with its kinetics controllable by tuning the time and temperature during the programming.”
From Shape memory polymer with programmable recovery onset (2023) · cites this paper as [12]
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References 40 · Cited by 93
- Authors
- Hu, X., Zhou, J., Vatankhah-Varnosfaderani, M., Daniel, W. F. M., Li, Q., Zhushma, A. P., Dobrynin, A. V., & Sheiko, S. S.
- Affiliations
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (US)
- University of Akron (US)
- Corresponding author
- Dobrynin, Andrey V.
- Sheiko, Sergei S.
- Venue
- Nature Communications
- Published
- 2016-09-27
- Volume
- 7
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 12919-12919
- ISSN
- 2041-1723 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC5052638
- OpenAlex
- W2527154466
- Cited by
- 93
- References
- 40
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 13 · 2017: 12 · 2016: 4
- FWCI
- 11.26
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Locations
- Nature Communications (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Carolina Digital Repository (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- OSTI OAI (U.S. Department of Energy Office of Scientific and Technical Information) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- UNC Libraries
- Funders
- National Science Foundation (1436201, 1122483, 1407645, 1409710)
- U.S. Department of Energy (DESC0001011)
- Division of Materials Research (DMR 1407645, DMR 1436201, 1409710, 1407645, DMR-1122483, 1436201)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Mechanical Engineering › Advanced Materials and Mechanics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Medicine › Hydrogels: synthesis, properties, applications
- Physical Sciences › Materials Science › Polymers and Plastics › Polymer composites and self-healing
- Keywords
- shape memory materials, programmable actuation, double-network hydrogel, hydrogen bonding, covalent cross-links, drug release, active implants
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