Shape memory polymers properties, synthesis and applications

PEPONI, Institute of Polymer Science and Technology (ICTP-CSIC), Spain and I. NAVARRO-BAENA and J. M. KENNY, Institute of Polymer Science and Technology (ICTP-CSIC), Spain and University of Perugia, Temi, Italy 

Key words shape memory materials, shape memory polymers, external stimuli activation, biomedical applications. 

SMMs are able to respond to an external stimulus changing their own structure. The common external stimuli used to provoke the shape memory effects (SMEs) can be temperature (Knight et al, 2009 Lendlein et al., 

1 ISI publications referring to polymers with shape memory behaviour. (Source ISI Web of Knowledge.) 

Many kinds of materials can show shape memory behaviour such as metal alloys (Chau et al., 2006 Gil et al., 2004 He et al., 2005 Rossi et al., 2008 Van Humbeeck, 1999), ceramics (Heuer et al., 1990 Wang et al., 1991) and polymers (Lendlein et al, 2004 Wei et al, 1998) and, due to the different structure of these materials, the shape memory mechanism is different in each case. 

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Shape memory polymers properties, synthesis and applications... 

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