Kun Chen, Meng Li, Zifan Yang, Ziming Ye, Ding Zhang, Bo Zhao, Zhiyuan Xia, Qi Wang, Xiaobing Kong, Yuanyuan Shang, Chenyang Liu, Haifeng Yu, Anyuan Cao
Stimulus-responsive polymer-based actuators are extensively studied, with the challenging goal of achieving comprehensive performance metrics that include large output stress and strain, fast response, and versatile actuation modes. The design and fabrication of nanocomposites offer a promising route to integrate the advantages of both polymers and nanoscale fillers, thus ensuring superior performance. Here, it is started from a three-dimensional (3D) porous sponge to fabricate a mutually interpenetrated nanocomposite, in which the embedded carbon nanotube (CNT) network undergoes collective deformation with the shape memory polymer (SMP) matrix during large-degree stretching and releasing, increases junction density with polymer chains and enhances molecular orientation...
April 8, 2024: Advanced Materials