Self-storage: a novel family of stimuli-responsive polymer materials for optical and electrochemical switching

For most stimuli-responsive polymer materials (SRPMs), such as polymer gels, micelles, and brushes, the responsive mechanism is based on the solubility or compatibility with liquid media. That basis always results in distorting or collapsing the material's appearance and relies on external liquids. Here, a novel kind of SRPMs is proposed. Unlike most SRPMs, liquid is stored within special domains rather than expelled, so it is deforming-free and relying on no external liquid, which is referred to as self-storage SRPMs (SS-SRPMs). The facile and universal route to fabricate SS-SRPMs allows for another novel family of SRPMs. Furthermore, it is validated that SS-SRPMs can drastically respond to outside temperature like switchers, especially for optical and electrochemical responses. Those features hold prospects for applications in functional devices, such as smart optical lenses or anti-self-discharge electrolytes for energy devices.