polymers-logo

Journal Browser

Journal Browser

Shape Memory Polymer Materials, 2nd Edition

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Smart and Functional Polymers".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2026 | Viewed by 792

Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Collaborative Innovation Center of Marine Science and Technology, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
Interests: shape memory polymer composites; 4D printing; smart structures; covalent organic frameworks; COMSOL simulation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
School of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology at Weihai, Weihai 264209, China
Interests: shape memory polymers; self-healing polymers; multifunctional supramolecular polymers; environment adaptability of polymers materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Center for Composite Materials and Structures, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150080, China
Interests: shape memory polymer composite; deployable structure; metamaterials; solid mechanics; finite element modelling
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
Interests: shape memory polymer; 4D printing; battery adhesive; polyurethane; light-responsive polymers; zwitterionic polymer

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The integrated design of materials, structure, and function has gained significant attention globally. Shape memory polymers and 4D printing offer a powerful means to achieve this convergence, enabling applications in self‑adaptive devices, reversible shape‑changing components, and intelligent structures.

Driven by rising demand for smart additive manufacturing, 4D printing of shape memory materials has been widely studied in recent years. Progress in finite element modeling and COMSOL simulations further supports the design process, helping to optimize and simplify such systems. Examples encompass shape memory large‑deformation structures, such as hinges, antennas, stents, and other reconfigurable elements, which possess potential applications in aerospace, biomedicine, robotics, and flexible electronics. Beyond these, shape memory polymer composites and metamaterials create new opportunities for multifunctional smart structures in emerging domains like marine resource utilization, energy systems, and photo catalysis.

For this Special Issue, we welcome submissions on recent advances in shape memory polymer research. Suggested topics include, but are not limited to, the following: shape memory polymers and composites; multifunctional systems exhibiting self‑healing, self‑sensing, or other advanced behaviors; 4D‑printed smart structures and devices; and finite element simulations of self‑adaptive and reversible shape‑changing systems. Both original research articles and review papers are encouraged.

Dr. Wenxin Wang
Dr. Fang Xie
Dr. Fengfeng Li
Prof. Dr. Shaojun Chen
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Polymers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • shape memory polymers
  • 4D printing
  • smart structures
  • self-adaptive devices
  • finite element modelling
  • COMSOL simulation
  • macromolecules
  • self-healing polymers
  • metamaterials
  • solid mechanics

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Related Special Issue

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

17 pages, 2866 KB  
Article
Photo–Thermally Sequentially Responsive Shape Memory Polymers Based on Side–Chain Azobenzene–Functionalized Epoxy
by Jinxiong Wen, Xianhao Mao, Shaojun Chen, Yuanyuan Li, Zhiwen Tu, Huilin Lai and Haitao Zhuo
Polymers 2026, 18(15), 1902; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym18151902 - 3 Aug 2026
Viewed by 455
Abstract
To address the critical limitations of traditional photothermal–responsive epoxy–based shape memory polymers (ESMPs), such as poor compatibility and cyclical instability, a series of side–chain azobenzene (Azo)–functionalized linear ESMPs (EPDm) were successfully synthesized via chemical bonding. Highly rigid 4–aminoazobenzene (Azodm) units were covalently integrated [...] Read more.
To address the critical limitations of traditional photothermal–responsive epoxy–based shape memory polymers (ESMPs), such as poor compatibility and cyclical instability, a series of side–chain azobenzene (Azo)–functionalized linear ESMPs (EPDm) were successfully synthesized via chemical bonding. Highly rigid 4–aminoazobenzene (Azodm) units were covalently integrated into the Bisphenol A–type epoxy backbone as functional photo–responsive side chains. Systematic characterizations confirmed that the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the EPDm polymers could be precisely tuned from 41.53 °C to 53.26 °C by adjusting the Azodm content. Benefiting from the proposed homogeneous covalent architecture, the EPDm films exhibited superior photothermal sequential behavior and remarkable shape memory stability despite a slight reduction in tensile strength (≈10–12 MPa). Under 365 nm UV irradiation, the pre–stretched EPDm10 specimen achieved a rapid macroscopic bending angle of over 150° within 15 s, driven exclusively by the trans–to–cis molecular photoisomerization of the Azo side chains well below the matrix Tg. Furthermore, standard shape memory cycles demonstrated excellent shape fixity (Rf > 98%) and recovery (Rr > 95%) ratios, alongside exceptional anti–fatigue performance with minimal strain variance (≈5%) over consecutive cycles. This work establishes a robust and high–efficiency molecular design strategy for photo–thermally sequentially responsive shape memory polymers, offering immense potential for smart actuators and flexible electronics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Shape Memory Polymer Materials, 2nd Edition)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop