Hybridizing Poly(ε-caprolactone) and Plasmonic Titanium Nitride Nanoparticles for Broadband Photoresponsive Shape Memory Films.

Plasmonic nanoparticles can confine light in nanoscale and locally heat the surrounding. Here we use titanium nitride (TiN) nanoparticles as broadband plasmonic light absorbers and synthesized a highly photoresponsive hybrid cross-linked polymer from shape memory polymer poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL). The TiN-PCL hybrid is responsive to sunlight and the threshold irradiance was among the lowest when compared with other photoresponsive shape memory polymers studied previously. Sunlight heating with TiN NPs can be applied to other heat responsive smart polymers, thereby contributing to energy-saving smart polymers research for a sustainable society.