Trigger-Free Shapeshifting Material

Oct-01-16 Researchers have created programmable shape-shifting materials able to unfold at a specific time, with no external trigger.

Whereas most shape-shifting materials require an external trigger, such as heat or water, the new material created by teams from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of Akron can be programmed to begin its transformation at a particular time. The key to the timed shifting is the two different networks of chemical bonds held within a hydrogel polymer. The dynamic network contains the energy that drives the transformation, while the second network of temporary hydrogen bonds controls how quickly the energy is released. Using these two networks, the team can program the material to shape shift at a particular time, with no other trigger required.

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[LIVESCIENCE.COM]
[PHYS.ORG]

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