University of Rochester

Mitchell Anthamatten

Yuan Meng

Christopher L Lewis

Jiahui Li

Shaw H Chen

Alexander A Shestopalov

Jane Ou

An optical system that includes a cholesteric glassy liquid crystal film doped with a dye and configured to preferentially absorb light of a first handedness, such as left-hand circularly polarized (LCP) light, but pass light of the opposite handedness, such a right-hand circularly polarized (RCP) light. Adding an anti-reflection coating can further increase the transmission-to-reflection ratio.

One-way circularly polarized light generated by propagation through Ch-GLC films doped with light-absorbing dyes

A shape-memory polymer that is melt-recyclable with high processability and little performance loss, in contrast to known Crosslinked semicrystalline shape-memory networks that are capable of storing large amounts of elastic energy with negligible plastic deformation but as thermosets are not easily melt-processed or recycled. In examples herein, catalyst-free isocyanate chemistry is used to prepare two linear poly(caprolactone)s with bisurea hydrogen bonding groups periodically positioned along the main chain. Compared to an entangled poly(caprolactone) homopolymer of similar molecular weight, the segmented poly(bisurea)s exhibit minimal stress relaxation when elastically strained at identical conditions. Furthermore, the materials' single relaxation times indicate chain reptation, and at sufficient temperatures, disentanglement occurs rapidly enough to perform melt-processing. The polymers show excellent shape fixity and recovery before and after shredding, melt-pressing, and annealing into a reprocessed film.

Melt-processable shape-memory elastomers containing bisurea segments

Describes are methods of contacting printing with a shape-memory stamp. For example, disclosed herein are methods of patterning thin films using shape memory contact printing.

Shape memory contact printing methods

Disclosed are methods of using reaction injection molding to mold stimuli-responsive thermosets such as urethane linked poly(caprolactone) networks from polyols and polyisocyanates, as well as polymers prepared by such methods.

Reaction injection molding of stimuli-responsive thermosets

Described are shape-memory polymers that have a composite prepolymer crosslinked with a stoichiometric amount of a multifunctional crosslinker, the composite prepolymer having a branched or telechelic prepolymer having a low polydispersity reacted with a non-crystalline chain extender. Also described are methods of making shape-memory polymers by reacting a branched or telechelic prepolymer having a low polydispersity with a non-crystalline chain extender to form a composite prepolymer, and crosslinking a stoichiometric amount of a multifunctional crosslinker with the composite prepolymer, thereby forming the shape-memory polymer.

Shape-memory polymers and methods of making and use thereof

Described are shape-memory polymers that have a branched or telechelic prepolymer having a low polydispersity crosslinked with a stoichiometric amount of a multifunctional crosslinker. Also described are methods of making shape-memory polymers by crosslinking a stoichiometric amount of a multifunctional crosslinker with a branched or telechelic prepolymer having a low polydispersity. Methods of measuring the energy storage capacity of a shape-memory polymer are also disclosed.

Described are shape memory polymers and methods of making shape memory polymers and actuators from the shape memory polymers.

Shape memory polymers and methods of making and use thereof

The present disclosure relates to Shape Memory Polymers (SMP's) comprising function groups that allow the polymers to be elastically deformed, utilized in the elastically deformed state, and subsequently returned to the original polymorphic shape.

Growing community of inventors

Rochester, NY, United States of America

Mitchell Anthamatten