Solvent-triggered shape change in gradient-based 4D printed bilayers: case study on semi-crystalline polymer networks

Soft Matter. 2024 May 8. doi: 10.1039/d4sm00304g. Online ahead of print.

Abstract

We propose an approach to 4D print solvent-triggered, gradient-based bilayers made of semi-crystalline crosslinked polymer networks. Out-of-plane bending is obtained after immersion in the solvent, exploiting the different swelling degrees of the layers resulting from crosslinking gradients. Lastly, a beam model of the shape transformation is applied and experimentally validated.