INDUSTRY NEWS
Researchers have developed polymers that change shape in response to a magnetic charge. Scientists from the Institute of Polymer Research at GKSS Research (Teltow, Germany), in a joint project with the German Institute of Polymers (Darmstadt), have developed magnetically charged materials with a “memory.” The researchers’ findings have been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (www.pnas.org/papbyrecent.shtml).
Shape-memory polymers are designed to change shape in response to heat or light. A controllable magnetic process can now be used to trigger the change in shape. Direct contact with the polymer is not necessary. The process works on the basis of magnetic nanoparticles of iron oxide. Spread throughout the polymer, the particles convert the magnetic energy into heat. By varying the number of particles and the strength of the magnetic field, it is possible to set a desired temperature.
Possible medical applications include remotely controlled catheters. “These catheters could be used to rinse, fill, or drain organs or vessels without the need for surgery every time the patient’s therapy is modified,” says Andreas Lendlein, director of the GKSS Institute of Polymer Research.
For more information, contact Andreas Lendlein, GKSS-Forschungszentrum Geesthacht GmbH, Institute of Polymer Research, Kantstr. 55, 14513 Teltow, Germany; phone: +49 3328 352450; fax: +49 3328 352452; Internet: www.polymerforschung-aktuelles.gkss.de.
