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Description:

In this study, we develop shape memory ion gels comprising ultrahigh molecular weight (UHMW) polymers and ionic liquids (ILs), synthesised via a facile one-pot radical polymerisation method of vinyl monomers in the IL medium. The resulting ion gels exhibit a high glass transition temperature (Tg) above room temperature and a broad rubbery plateau, attributed to the abundant physical entanglements of the UHMW polymers in the IL medium. Dynamic mechanical analysis confirms their excellent shape-memory performance, including triple shape-memory behaviour. By leveraging the nonvolatility of IL, the ion gels can be recycled through thermal remoulding with minimal degradation in their mechanical properties. Furthermore, they retain their shape-memory performance over multiple deformation cycles with negligible residual strain, in contrast to their counterparts containing lower molecular weight polymers, which suffer from chain pullout and incomplete recovery. Notably, this study demonstrates that densely entangled polymer networks can enable shape reprogramming, highlighting physical entanglements as a robust and dynamic cross-linking motif. Moreover, the Tg can be finely tuned by adjusting the polymer/IL composition or by selecting different IL structures, offering a versatile strategy for designing high-performance shape memory materials.

Rights:

• https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
  

Keyword: イオンゲル, 超高分子量, 形状記憶, 絡み合い, イオン液体

Date published: 2026-04-14

Publisher: Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)

Journal:

• Materials Horizons (ISSN: 20516347) vol. 13 issue. 9 p. 4371-4383

Funding:

• Japan Society for the Promotion of Science 23H02030
• Japan Society for the Promotion of Science 23K26409
• Precursory Research for Embryonic Science and Technology JPMJPR2196
• Japan Science and Technology Corporation JPMJFR2327

Manuscript type: Publisher's version (Version of record)

MDR DOI:

First published URL: https://doi.org/10.1039/d5mh01902h

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Updated at: 2026-05-13 18:54:14 +0900

Published on MDR: 2026-05-14 14:26:36 +0900