Shape memory-assisted self-healing polymer systems

Abstract The combination of shape memory and self-healing in a polymer introduces the potential for materials to intrinsically close a crack followed by the application of a stimuli, such as heat, light, electromagnetic fields, or changes in the chemical environment to heal itself. In particular, shape memory behavior can assist the self-healing process of a material in a variety of different nonideal environments such as temperature, pressure, and humidity. The shape memory response can be introduced by intrinsic and extrinsic methods while self-healing uses either covalent or noncovalent interactions. Shape memory fixity, shape memory recovery, and self-healing efficiencies are the main characteristics for shape memory-assisted self-healing (SMASH) systems. This chapter overviews the state of the art in different SMASH polymer systems, the self-healing mechanisms and applications. The aim is to spurn on further work in this field to overcome the current challenges.