The basic principle for the operation of a thermally stimulated shape memory polymer (SMP) is a drastic change in elastic modulus above the glass transition temperature (T g). This change from glassy modulus to rubbery modulus allows the material to be deformed above the T g and retain the deformed shape when cooled below the T g. The material will recover its original shape when heated above the T g again. However, thermal activation is not the only possibility for a polymer to exhibit this shape memory effect or change of modulus. This paper discusses results of an alternative approach to SMP activation.

It is well known that the T g of a thermosetting polymer is proportional to its crosslinking density. It is possible for the crosslinking density of a room temperature elastomer to be modified through photo-crosslinking special photo-reactive monomer groups incorporated into the material system in order to increase its T g. Correspondingly, the modulus will be increased from the rubbery state to the glassy state. As a result, the material is transformed from an elastomer to a rigid glassy photoset, depending on the crosslinking density achieved during exposure to the proper wavelength of light. This crosslinking process is reversible by irradiation with a different wavelength, thus making it possible to produce light-activated SMP materials that could be deformed at room temperature, held in deformed shape by photo-irradiation using one wavelength, and recovered to the original shape by irradiation with a different wavelength.

In this work, monomers which contain photo-crosslinkable groups in addition to the primary polymerizable groups were synthesized. These monomers were formulated and cured with other monomers to form photo-responsive polymers. The mechanical properties of these materials, the kinetics, and the reversibility of the photo-activated shape memory effect were studied to demonstrate the effectiveness of using photo-irradiation to effect change in modulus (and thus shape memory effect).