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© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
T. J. Gutiérrez (ed.), Reactive and Functional Polymers Volume Three,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-50457-1_4
Chapter 4
Carbon Nanoparticle-Loaded Shape
Memory Polyurethanes: Design
and Functionalization
Ayesha Kausar
Abstract Shape memory polyurethanes (PUs) have the ability to response to
external stimuli such as electricity, heat, light, moisture, pH, etc. Among PUs, segmented PU possesses high recoverable strain, tunable physical properties, wide
range of glass transition temperature and an easily controllable softening phenomenon. Shape memory nanocomposites have been synthesized from PU containing
carbon nanoparticles (C NPs) such as fullerene, graphene, multi-walled carbon
nanotube, nanodiamond, etc. The surface modification of C NPs can improve the
mechanical, shape memory, strength and thermal properties of the nanocomposite.
Shape memory PU and nanocomposite have recently been aroused by research
interest due their versatile applications. This chapter basically highlights the design
of shape memory PU and their C NP-loaded nanocomposites, the principle of shape
memory behavior of these polymers and their applications with future directions.
Keywords Fullerene · Nanocomposite · Polymer · Stimulus
4.1 Introduction
Shape memory polymers are able to recover their initial shape (mechanical properties) after being subjected to external stimuli such as electricity, heat, light, pH (Yan
et al. 2012; Yu et al. 2013; Kanu et al. 2019), humidity (Meng and Hu 2010) and
pressure (Thakur and Karak 2014). Thermoplastic poly(urethane) (TPU) and segmented poly(urethane) (PU) block copolymers have gained significant importance
in this field. These materials have soft and hard segments, which have been shown
to be related to shape memory properties (Khosravi et al. 2020). The soft segments
(also referred to as reversible phase) are responsible for the plastic characteristics of
the mechanical behavior of the material, while the hard segments (also called fixed
A. Kausar (*)
National Center for Physics, Quaid-i-Azam University Campus, Islamabad, Pakistan
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
T. J. Gutiérrez (ed.), Reactive and Functional Polymers Volume Three,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-50457-1_4
Chapter 4
Carbon Nanoparticle-Loaded Shape
Memory Polyurethanes: Design
and Functionalization
Ayesha Kausar
Abstract Shape memory polyurethanes (PUs) have the ability to response to
external stimuli such as electricity, heat, light, moisture, pH, etc. Among PUs, segmented PU possesses high recoverable strain, tunable physical properties, wide
range of glass transition temperature and an easily controllable softening phenomenon. Shape memory nanocomposites have been synthesized from PU containing
carbon nanoparticles (C NPs) such as fullerene, graphene, multi-walled carbon
nanotube, nanodiamond, etc. The surface modification of C NPs can improve the
mechanical, shape memory, strength and thermal properties of the nanocomposite.
Shape memory PU and nanocomposite have recently been aroused by research
interest due their versatile applications. This chapter basically highlights the design
of shape memory PU and their C NP-loaded nanocomposites, the principle of shape
memory behavior of these polymers and their applications with future directions.
Keywords Fullerene · Nanocomposite · Polymer · Stimulus
4.1 Introduction
Shape memory polymers are able to recover their initial shape (mechanical properties) after being subjected to external stimuli such as electricity, heat, light, pH (Yan
et al. 2012; Yu et al. 2013; Kanu et al. 2019), humidity (Meng and Hu 2010) and
pressure (Thakur and Karak 2014). Thermoplastic poly(urethane) (TPU) and segmented poly(urethane) (PU) block copolymers have gained significant importance
in this field. These materials have soft and hard segments, which have been shown
to be related to shape memory properties (Khosravi et al. 2020). The soft segments
(also referred to as reversible phase) are responsible for the plastic characteristics of
the mechanical behavior of the material, while the hard segments (also called fixed
A. Kausar (*)
National Center for Physics, Quaid-i-Azam University Campus, Islamabad, Pakistan