A new strategy for reconfigurable actuators based on oxidation of fast responsive shape memory polyarylene sulfide sulfone

Abstract

Actuators have shown great potential application in many fields. Till now, it remains a challenge to design and exploit diverse modes actuators which can endure in hard environment by reconfiguration. Here, a series of shape memory polyarylene sulfide sulfone (SMP-PASS) shows excellent thermal properties, good mechanical properties and good shape memory behaviors were synthesized. The shape recovery temperature of can further increased by oxidizing thioether bonds to sulfone groups by facile oxidation treatment. According to the different temperature stimulus response of the samples before and after oxidation, herein, we propose a simple strategy to fabricate reconfigurable actuators that can be used in extreme environments by patterns in both plane and depth directions of SMP-PASS films by post-oxidation modification. SMP-PASS films after programming anisotropic can transform planar films into various 3D structure actuators under heating stimulation, unambiguous confirming that the facile oxidation method supplies an efficient route to yield multiple and thermal-resistant actuators. That not only supplies a novel, re-processable and fast-responsive shape memory polymer candidate, but also provides a facile and effective strategy to fabricate smart 3D actuators.