Smart polymers with “life-like” properties: due to dynamic chemical bonds the micrometric 3D structures can grow eight-fold in just a few hours and harden. Scale: 20 micrometres (µm). This image may ...

The technique of keyhole surgery minimises scarring, speeds healing and reduces the risk of infection. However, it is extremely difficult to carry out delicate surgical procedures accurately in a ...

An electroactive polymers that remembers its shape has potential applications in cell biology and organic solar cells. Molecular switches transform between one shape and another in response to a ...

A shape-memory polymer (SMP) is a type of smart material that has been widely investigated and used in aerospace deployable structures and in biomedical fields. 1, 2 ...

Shape-memory polymers have long intrigued materials scientists because they can be bent or twisted into a new configuration, which they’ll hold until some stimulus—such as heat—reverts them to their ...

An assortment of objects made from magnetic shape-memory polymers. Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing ...