<br/>The creation of a novel material with photodynamic properties, which has possible applications in biomechatronic and orthopedic prosthetics. The presented smart material is composed of a photostrictive polymer that is a shape memory material that actuates between two mechanical states due to an applied wavelength of light. The innovative material derives its photoactive properties from the azobenzene unit that is embedded in the polymer chain. The smart material is based on the chemical structure of nylon and offers many of the benefits that nylon material has with the added advantage of being photoactive. The presented chemical synthesis and production process allows for the novel material to be synthesized with varying degrees of photoactive units inserted into the polymer chain. The structural properties of the photoactive smart material were subsequently analyzed in order to build a structure activity relationship between the photoactive polymer and the number of embedded photoactive units. The ability to configure the structural properties by controlling the amount of integrated photoactive units elevates the smart materials potential use in a plethora of medical applications.

Smart material: Photoactive polymer synthesis, production and structural analysis

ACS Spring 2022

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.