What if a complex material could reshape itself in response to a simple chemical signal? A team of physicists from the University of Vienna and the University of Edinburgh has shown that even small ...

Energy is stored in the crystalline structure of the polymer as it's stretched, allowing it to snap back when heated. Share on Facebook (opens in a new window) Share on X (opens in a new window) Share ...

(Nanowerk News) Although most materials slightly expand when heated, there is a new class of rubber-like material that not only self-stretches upon cooling; it reverts back to its original shape when ...

Shape memory materials that can revert back into a desired form after being bent, twisted and stretched are finding their way into a number of applications, ranging from sports bras to more efficient ...

A research group at the University of Rochester has developed a new polymer with some amazing traits. It can be stretched or manipulated into new shapes, and it will hold that shape until heat is ...

Ryan Hayward's self-folding crane begins as a flat, trilayer sheet. The middle pNIPAM hydrogel layer swells as the water around it is heated, and the folding is guided by slits patterned into the more ...

Shape memory polymers (SMPs) can remember different shapes and can be recovered to their permanent shapes from temporary shapes with appropriate stimuli, such as heat, humidity, and electrical field.

Researchers have developed a shape memory polymer that stores almost six times more energy than previous versions. When stretched or deformed, shape memory polymers return to their original shapes ...

Whether for separation processes, photovoltaics, catalysis, or electronics, porous polymer membranes are needed in many fields. Membranes with micropores that switch between different shapes and/or ...