Light and Shape-Memory Polymers: Characterization, Preparation, Stimulation, and Application

Shape-memory polymers (SMPs) are smart materials that change shape when exposed to stimuli and have various applications in different fields due to their unique properties. Light, as a kind of electromagnetic radiation, plays an important role in understanding the structure-property relations of SMPs, preparing original shapes, using them as non-contact stimuli sources, and tuning the optical properties of SMPs. This review provides a comprehensive review of the involvement of light in structure-preparation-stimuli-application of SMPs. The review is divided into four sections. First, applications of optical/spectroscopic approaches that provide information for understanding structure-property relations in SMPs, especially during programming and recovery. Second, describes how to build SMPs with light, including different photochemical reactions and 3D photocuring technologies. Third, discusses how light is used to trigger the shape change of SMPs through both photochemical and photothermal mechanisms. Last, focuses on how to take advantage of the shape-memory effect to tune the optical characteristics of polymers, including various structures of SMP color-changing materials and their synthetic strategies. Future research could focus on developing efficient photothermal fillers, new 3D printing techniques for SMPs, exploring their use in biomedical and wearable devices, and optimizing SMPs for industrial applications.