Tailored One-Way and Two-Way Shape Memory Response of Poly(ε-Caprolactone)-Based Systems for Biomedical Applications

A series of crosslinked poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) materials were obtained starting from linear, three- and four-arm star PCL functionalized with methacrylate end-groups, allowing to tune the melting temperature (Tm) on a range between 36 and 55°C. After deforming the specimens at 50% above Tm, the materials are seen to fully restore their original shape by heating them on a narrow region close to Tm; further, when the shape memory effect is triggered under fixed strain conditions, the materials are able to exert stress on a range between 0.2 and 7 MPa. The materials also display two-way shape memory features, reversibly moving between two shapes when cooled and heated under a fixed load. Finally, to investigate the application of the PCL materials as self-expandable stents, one-way shape memory experiments are currently carried out on tubular specimens.