Search

Classical materials readily switch phases (solid to fluid or fluid to gas) upon changes in pressure or heat; however, subsequent reversion of the stimulus returns the material to their original phase. Covalently cross-linked polymer networks, which are solids that do not flow when strained, do not change phase even upon changes in temperature and pressure. However, upon the addition of dynamic cross-links, they become stimuli responsive, capable of switching phase from solid to fluid, but quickly returning to the solid state once the stimulus is removed. Reported here is the first material capable of a bistable switching of phase. A permanent solid to fluid transition or vice versa is demonstrated at room temperature, with inherent, spatiotemporal control over this switch in either direction triggered by exposure to light., Polymers cross-linked with dynamic bonds can switch the phase from solid to fluid upon stimulus but return quickly to the solid state once the stimulus is removed. Here the authors report a light triggered permanent solid to fluid transition at room temperature with inherent spatiotemporal control in either direction

The original version of this Article contained errors in Fig. 3. In Fig. 3a, the word ‘fluid’ in grey was incorrectly given as ‘solid’ in green, below that, ‘solid’ in green was previously ‘fluid’ in grey. Also, the label on the arrow incorrectly read ‘TMG (1 mol%) HABI-Cl (3 mol%) 455 nm, 1 min’; the correct version reads ‘TMG (1 mol%) HABI-O-n-oct (4 mol%) 455 nm, 4 min’. In the accompanying legend, the word ‘photobase’ was originally incorrectly given as ‘photoacid’. Additionally, in Fig. 3b, the label on the central image was ‘As is: solid’, rather than the correct ‘As is: fluid’. This has been corrected in both the PDF and HTML versions of the Article.