TY  - JOUR
A1  - Balk, Maria
A1  - Behl, Marc
A1  - Lendlein, Andreas
T1  - Actuators based on oligo[(epsilon-caprolactone)-co-glycolide] with accelerated hydrolytic degradation
JF  - MRS advances : a journal of the Materials Research Society (MRS)
N2  - Polyester-based shape-memory polymer actuators are multifunctional materials providing reversible macroscopic shape shifts as well as hydrolytic degradability. Here, the function-function interdependencies (between shape shifts and degradation behaviour) will determine actuation performance and its life time. In this work, glycolide units were incorporated in poly(epsilon-caprolactone) based actuator materials in order to achieve an accelerated hydrolytic degradation and to explore the function-function relationship. Three different oligo[(epsilon-caprolactone)-co-glycolide] copolymers (OCGs) with similar molecular weights (10.5 +/- 0.5 kg center dot mol(-1)) including a glycolide content of 8, 16, and 26 mol% (ratio 1:1:1 wt%) terminated with methacrylated moieties were crosslinked. The obtained actuators provided a broad melting transition in the range from 27 to 44 degrees C. The hydrolytic degradation of programmed OCG actuators (200% of elongation) resulted in a reduction of sample mass to 51 wt% within 21 days at pH = 7.4 and 40 degrees C. Degradation results in a decrease of T-m associated to the actuating units and increasing T-m associated to the skeleton forming units. The actuation capability decreased almost linear as function of time. After 11 days of hydrolytic degradation the shape-memory functionality was lost. Accordingly, a fast degradation behaviour as required, e.g., for actuator materials intended as implant material can be realized.
KW  - actuation
KW  - shape memory
KW  - polymer
KW  - crystalline
Y1  - 2020
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1557/adv.2019.447
SN  - 2059-8521
VL  - 5
IS  - 12-13
SP  - 655
EP  - 666
PB  - Cambridge University Press
CY  - New York, NY
ER  -