In situ hydrogen-bonding complex mediated shape memory behavior of PAA/PEO blends

We report the shape-memory PAA/PEO blends where in situ hydrogen-bonding complex and the excess PEO component serve as elastomer and switching element, respectively. The hydrogen bonding interactions between PAA and PEO are responsible for in situ PAA/PEO complex formation. The in situ PAA/PEO complex, water insoluble and highly elastic, is well interpenetrated with the excess crystalline PEO component to produce bi-continuous phase morphology. As a result, the blends (wtPAA/wtPEO = 0.1 : 1 and 0.2 : 1), consisting of sufficient amount of in situ complex and the excess highly crystalline PEO, exhibit superior shape memory effects with a fixing and recovery ratio of nearly 100%. [Display omitted] •A new kind of SMPs was designed with in situ hydrogen-bonding complex.•PAA/PEO blends with in situ complex exhibited superior shape memory properties.•The shape memory effect arises from the combination of complex and excess PEO phase.