Abstract
Shape memory polymers (SMPs) are a set of smart materials capable of holding and recovering programmed deformations upon application of an external stimulus, traditionally a heat field. This chapter aims to present a systematic and up-to-date account of nanopaper enabled shape memory composites. Nanopapers based on carbon nanotubes (CNTs), carbon nanofibers (CNFs), and graphene have been explored to address the challenges present by SMPs, such as low recovery strength and speed. The underlying mechanism is to utilize nanopapers to reinforce SMPs and enhance electrical and thermal conductivity of SMP composites, and in turn the shape recovery effect can be triggered by electrically resistive heating. This chapter surveys the methodologies for making carbon nanopapers, the fabrication strategies and design principles of nanopaper enabled SMP composites, and characterization of shape memory behavior. Nanopaper enabled SMP composites with magnetic alignment functionality have also been investigated to enhance the conductivity of composites and recovery speed upon electrical actuation. Nanopaper enabled SMP composites have found applications in various fields ranging from deployable space structures in the broad field of aerospace technologies to biomedical applications. The future direction of multifuctionalization of nanopaper enabled SMP composites is discussed.
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