Biodegradable photo-crosslinked polycaprolactone/polydopamine elastomers with excellent light driven programmable...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Developing biodegradable shape memory polymers with controllable actuation is crucial for biomedical applications.
• Existing methods face challenges in achieving robust, remotely triggered shape changes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate a mechanically robust, biodegradable shape memory elastomer with light-induced shape actuation.
• To investigate the material's shape memory performance, photothermal properties, and degradation behavior.

Main Methods:

• Utilized thiol-ene click chemistry for fabricating polycaprolactone/polydopamine elastomers.
• Investigated photothermal transfer efficiency, shape memory properties (fixity and recovery), and light-induced actuation.
• Performed in vitro degradation studies in PBS-T buffer solutions.

Main Results:

• Achieved high shape fixity (92.3%) and shape recovery (95.6%) ratios.
• Demonstrated rapid, light-induced out-of-plane bending actuation up to 158°.
• Confirmed reversible shape deformation and tunable bending based on material and light parameters.
• Observed degradation in two stages: induction and acceleration.

Conclusions:

• The developed elastomer offers excellent shape memory capabilities and remote, light-controlled actuation.
• The material's biodegradability and tunable properties make it promising for biomedical devices.
• This work advances the design of light-responsive, biodegradable materials for future applications.