Preparation and model of high-performance shape-memory polyurethane with hydroxylated perylene bisimide

3,4,9,10-Perylene tetracarboxylic anhydride (PTCDA) was reacted with tris(hydroxymethyl) methyl aminomethane (THAM) to form the corresponding hydroxylated perylene bisimide (PBI). Different weight ratios of PBI were used as the reactive filler with hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) and polycaprolactone (PCL) to prepare shape-memory PBI/polyurethane composites (PSMPs). Thermogravimetric analyses were carried out to identify the thermal properties of the PSMPs. The shape-memory behaviors of the PSMPs were characterized by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). It was revealed that the PSMP with 5.5 wt% PBI exhibited good shape-memory properties with high shape-fixity ratios (R-f) above 94% and shape-recovery ratios (R-r) above 97%. Additionally, compared to the samples without PBI, the PSMP with 5.5 wt% PBI showed better tensile properties with an elongation at break (epsilon(r)) of 932.8% and tensile strength (sigma(m)) of 52.76 MPa, which were 333.3% and 18.09 MPa higher than those of the samples without PBI, respectively. Furthermore, a three-element model was proposed to discuss the shape-memory behaviors of the PSMPs. The current work is expected to inform ongoing efforts to develop more efficient methods to study the shape-memory behaviors of polymers and has broad implications for the development of shape-memory polyurethanes for engineering applications.