Photo- and thermo-reversible crosslinked recyclable shape memory materials

Shape memory polymers (SMPs) are remarkable materials able to switch from a stressed deformed state (temporary shape) to their initial relaxed state (permanent shape) by the application of a stimulus; such as heat or light. Typically; the shape memory property is generally observed for chemically or physically cross-linked polymers that exhibit an elastomeric behavior above a phase transition; e.g. glass or melting transition. As an example; cross-linked semi-crystalline poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) is widely studied for the development of SMPs. As most of SMPs are irreversibly cross-linked material; their reprocessing is impossible preventing any recycling. Thereby; reversible reactions; allowing the formation/cleavage of the network; raise tremendous interest for the development of new SMPs. Recently, we reported the preparation reversibly cross-linked PCL-based SMP using the Diels-Alder (DA) reaction between furan and maleimide end-groups of 4-arm star-shaped PCL, well-known to create reversible bonds. After implementation, this shape memory material was demonstrated to be recyclable, and was characterized by excellent fixity and recovery before and after recycling experiments. However, the relatively low retro DA temperature of the furan-maleimide adducts led to an inelastic deformation during shape memory tensile cycles.

In order to get rid of this drawback, an alternative approach was investigated. The substitution of the DA reaction by a photo-reversible reaction, typically the photo-induced (2+2) cycloaddition of coumarins, was proposed to prepare cross-linked PCL matrix presenting one-way and two-way memory properties, since photolabile adducts are supposed to be stable during shape memory tensile cycles.