writer：Yaxin Qiu, Juqun Xi, Qianru Wanyan, Defeng Wu
keywords：poly(L-malic acid), crosslinking, shape memory effect, solvent-responsive capacity, visual discrimination, biocompatibility
source：期刊
specific source：ACS Applied Polymer Materials, 2020, 2: 1672-1681
Issue time：2020年

A biomass-derived and biocompatible poly(L-malic acid) (PMA) based material with shape memory effect (SME) was developed in this work. 1,8-octanediol was used as the cross-linker to construct crosslinking networks with hydrophilic backbone chain of PMA, tuning the density of networks and their swelling capacities by controlling -COOH/-OH ratios. The solvent-induced SME of as-obtained cross-linked PMAs was activated at mild conditions in this way. Using the shape recovery levels of U-shaped samples as the probes, the mixed methanol/ethanol/water systems with various ratios could be easily discriminated because the cross-linked PMAs show different sensing capacities to different components. The mechanisms were then studied in terms of the solvent molecule-polymer interactions. This work provides an interesting approach of visible discrimination of the solvents with similar structures, or their mixtures with various ratios, and also opens applications of biocompatible shape memory polymers in biomedical and chemical industries.

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsapm.0c00110