14. Programmable Shape-Memory Polymers
By programming SMPs with multiple transition temperatures, these polymers can morph through sequences of shapes in response to heat, light or pH. A 2016 study in ACS Macro Letters demonstrated networks that fixed triple-shape memory, enabling complex actuation.
Applications in minimally invasive devices include stents that self-expand at body temperature and soft actuators for robotics. Future work aims to incorporate photothermal nanoparticles, allowing remote light-triggered shape changes in adaptive structures.