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Natural eggshell membranes exhibiting programmable shape recovery characteristics

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Abstract

In this study, a novel shape memory polymer (SMP), eggshell membrane (ESM), with macroscopic mesh structures and microscopic crosslinked protein fibers, has shown water-stimulated shape recovery characteristics. Our results show that the collagen triple-helical molecular chains and disulfide-rich motifs in the ESM function as net-points retaining essential structures during deformation, while hydrogen bonds play a key role as switch units for shape recovery through water stimulation. We also demonstrate that programmable shape recovery characteristics of ESM can be obtained by modulating the number of net-points. This study may inspire the design of new programmable SMPs.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31670981, 31300788) and the Hundred-Talent Program from the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The authors thank Wei Cui and Yuling Ma at the Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences for assistance with sample preparation and microstructure characterization.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110016, China

    Chang Liu, Chen Liu & Xing Zhang

  2. Department of Chemistry, Northeastern University, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110004, China

    Chang Liu, Qian Li & Dun Niu

  3. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, 99352, USA

    Miao Song

  4. Department of Chemistry, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, China

    Mingming Ma

  5. School of Materials Sciences and Engineering, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, China

    Xing Zhang

Authors
  1. Chang Liu
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  2. Chen Liu
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  3. Qian Li
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  4. Miao Song
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  5. Dun Niu
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  6. Mingming Ma
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  7. Xing Zhang
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Dun Niu, Mingming Ma or Xing Zhang.

Supplementary material

Supplementary material

The supplementary material for this article can be found at {rs|https://doi.org/10.1557/mrc.2018.100|url|}

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Liu, C., Liu, C., Li, Q. et al. Natural eggshell membranes exhibiting programmable shape recovery characteristics. MRS Communications 8, 903–910 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1557/mrc.2018.100

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/mrc.2018.100

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