The nature of bonding matters: Benzoxazine based shape memory polymers

Publication date: 17 January 2018
Source:Polymer, Volume 135
Author(s): Hannes Schäfer, Andreas Hartwig, Katharina Koschek
A novel shape memory polymer is presented based on polybenzoxazine and poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL). Polybenzoxazines with unbound and covalently incorporated PCL were prepared applying hydroxyl and tosyl terminated PCLs, respectively. Thermo-responsive and shape memory behavior with high shape fixity and recovery were demonstrated for samples containing a high ratio of covalently bonded PCL in a crosslinked benzoxazine structure. Samples with exclusively non-bonded PCL chains proved to be brittle, possessing a heterogeneous morphology and lacking shape memory properties. The type of bonding into benzoxazines network – covalent versus non-covalent bonding of PCL – strongly affects materials structure property relationship.

Graphical abstract

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