The Polymer Society of Korea

Abstract

Thermally responsive shape-memory polymers (SMPs) are attractive for aerospace deployable structures in harsh environments. Fully aromatic polybenzimidazoles (PBIs) provide excellent thermal stability but lack shape-memory behavior due to rigid backbones. Here, flexible aliphatic segments were introduced into PBIs to enable reversible transitions via hydrogen-bonded crosslinks. To improve thermal responsiveness, boron nitride (BN) was added as a conductive filler, and its noncovalent functionalization suppressed agglomeration, ensuring uniform dispersion and forming efficient thermal pathways. π–π stacking and hydrogen bonding with imidazole groups enhanced polymer–filler interactions, facilitating heat transfer and faster actuation. The resulting nanocomposites showed high shape fixity, rapid recovery, and retained strong thermal and mechanical stability, demonstrating an effective strategy for high-performance SMPs in next-generation aerospace applications.