Fullerene Embedded Shape Memory Nanolens Array

Securing fragile nanostructures against external impact is indispensable for offering sufficiently long lifetime in service to nanoengineering products, especially when coming in contact with other substances. Indeed, this problem still remains a challenging task, which may be resolved with the help of smart materials such as shape memory and self-healing materials. Here, we demonstrate a shape memory nanostructure that can recover its shape by absorbing electromagnetic energy. Fullerenes were embedded into the fabricated nanolens array. Beside the energy absorption, such addition enables a remarkable enhancement in mechanical properties of shape memory polymer. The shape memory nanolens was numerically modeled to impart more in-depth understanding on the physics regarding shape recovery behavior of the fabricated nanolens. We anticipate that our strategy of combining the shape memory property with the microwave irradiation feature can provide a new pathway for nanostructured systems able to ensure a long-term durability

Dynamical Mechanical Thermal Analysis of Shape-Memory Polymers

International audienceThis chapter is dedicated to the dynamical mechanical thermal analysis of shape-memory polymers. Temperature obviously plays a major role in the mechanical properties of these materials; hence, the understanding of the physical phenomena driving the shape-memory effect is of first importance for the design of practical applications in which shape-memory polymers are used. The shape-memory effect being closely related to the viscoelastic behavior of the polymer, it is important to properly describe it with appropriate tools. The objective of this chapter is to describe characterization methods, models, and parameters identification techniques that can be easily used for the description of the thermomechanical behavior of SMPs. The associated models can easily be implemented in finite element codes for time- or frequency-domain simulations. The experimental results and all numerical values of the models are provided for three shape-memory polymers: the tBA/PEGDMA and a vitrimer, which can easily be manufactured according to the data provided in open literature, and a shape-memory polymer filament for 3D printing, which is available on the shelf