Hydrogels wetted by polyethylene glycol (peg) solutions

• Main Author: Ng, Shawn Jun Kai
• Other Authors: Huang Weimin
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2024
• Subjects: Engineering; Hydrogels; Polyethylene glycol (PEG); Shape memory effect (SME); Smart materials; Drying and wetting
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/176961
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

This report provides an overview of recent advancements in understanding the underlying mechanisms of Shape Memory Effect (SME) and newly discovered phenomena related to shape memory in polymeric materials. It highlights that most, if not all, polymeric materials inherently exhibit thermo/chemo-responsive SME. This report focuses on the SME of hydrogels in fabricated PEG solutions by determining the water concentration before and after various hydrogels were soaked in the different PEG concentration solutions. The report demonstrates that a thorough comprehension of the fundamentals governing different types of shape memory phenomena in polymeric materials is beneficial for designing and synthesising new Shape Memory Materials (SMMs) with customised properties and aids in optimising existing ones. Therefore, this broadens the range of applications for polymeric SMMs.