Shape memory materials by surface modification

1. A device comprising:

a flexible substrate;

a grafted polymer brush coating on at least one surface of the flexible substrate, wherein the grafted polymer brush coating is about 1 mm to about 10 cm in length and exerts a force on the flexible substrate to contract or bend in response to a stimulus; and

at least one of the following: microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), piezoelectric technology, shaped-memory alloys (SMA), grafted polymers, stimuli producing elements, guide wires, and combinations thereof.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the flexible substrate comprises polyester ethers, copolyester ethers, styrene based thermoplastic elastomers, olefin based thermoplastic elastomers, urethane based thermoplastic elastomers, ester based thermoplastic elastomers, amide based thermoplastic elastomers, polyolefines, natural rubber, synthetic rubber, poly (acrylates/methacrylates), synthetic hydrogels, natural hydrogels, silicone rubbers, and combinations thereof.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the flexible substrate comprises a surface comprising functional groups selected from the group consisting of thiols, sulfides (—SR), disulfides (—SSR), wherein R is alkyl or aryl; tri-substituted silanes (—SiX 3 ), wherein X is halo, alkoxy, chloro, or methoxy; carboxylic acids; hydroxamic acids; acid chlorides; anhydrides; epoxides; peroxide groups; nitrile groups; thioester groups; alkoxamine groups; ester groups; haloester groups; sulfonyl groups; phosphoryl groups; hydroxyl groups; amino acid groups; amides; and combinations thereof.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the grafted polymer brush coating comprises poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether acrylate, poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate, poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether acrylamide, poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylamide, poly(vinyl methyl ether), poly(N-vinyl caprolactam), poly(N,N-dimethylacrylamide), poly(N-2,3-dihydroxylpropyl)acrylamide, poly(2,2-dimethyl-1,3 dioxalane)methyl] acrylamide, polydodecyl methacrylate (PDMA), dodecyl methacrylate (DMA), poly-n-butyl acrylate (PnBA), styrene/acrylonitrile copolymer (AS), polypropylenepolymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), acrylamide, N-acryloylmorpholine, 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA), N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM), 2-methoxyethyl acrylate (MEA), 2-methacryroyloxyethylphosphorylcholine (MPC), acrylamide/methacrylamide derivatives of carbohydrates, [3-(Methacryloylamino) propyl]dimethyl(3-sulfopropyl)ammonium hydroxide (SBMA), 1-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone (VP), basic monomers such as (3-acrylamidopropyl)trimethylammonium (APTA), allylamine (AA), 1,4-diaminobutane methacrylamide (DABMA), 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid (AMPS), ethylene glycol methacrylate phosphate (EGMP), 2,2,2-trifluoroethyl methacrylate (TFEM), azobenzene containing copolymers of poly(ethyleneglycol) methacrylate, N-substituted acrylamides/methacrylamides (PAM), and combinations thereof.

5. The device of claim 1 , further comprising micromachined polypyrrole (PPy), copper, or a combination thereof.

6. The device of claim 1 , further comprising at least one force sensor, at least one piezoelectric tactile sensor, or combinations thereof.

7. The device of claim 1 , further comprising at least one stent, therapeutic agent, ablation apparatus, fiber optic cameras, interferometry devices, spectroscopy devices, and combinations thereof.

8. A method for preparing a device, the method comprising:

providing a device comprising a flexible substrate;

applying a grafted polymer brush coating to at least one surface of the flexible substrate of the device, wherein the grafted polymer brush coating is about 1 mm to about 10 cm in length and exerts a force on the flexible substrate to contract or bend in response to a stimulus; and

attaching a stimuli producing element to the device adjacent to the grafted polymer brush coating.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising connecting the stimuli producing element to a control module.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the flexible substrate comprises polyester ethers, copolyester ethers, styrene based thermoplastic elastomers, olefin based thermoplastic elastomers, urethane based thermoplastic elastomers, ester based thermoplastic elastomers, amide based thermoplastic elastomers, polyolefines, natural rubber, synthetic rubber, poly (acrylates/methacrylates), synthetic hydrogels, natural hydrogels, silicone rubbers, and combinations thereof.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the flexible substrate comprises a surface comprising functional groups selected from the group consisting of thiols, sulfides (—SR), disulfides (—SSR), wherein R is alkyl or aryl; tri-substituted silanes (SiX 3 ), wherein X is halo, alkoxy, chloro, or methoxy; carboxylic acids; hydroxamic acids; acid chlorides; anhydrides; epoxides; peroxide groups; nitrile groups; thioester groups; alkoxamine groups; ester groups; haloester groups; sulfonyl groups; phosphoryl groups; hydroxyl groups; amino acid groups; amides; and combinations thereof.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the grafted polymer brush coating comprises poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether acrylate, poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate, poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether acrylamide, poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylamide, poly(vinyl methyl ether), poly(N-vinyl caprolactam), poly(N,N-dimethylacrylamide), poly(N-2,3-dihydroxylpropyl)acrylamide, poly(2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxalane)methyl] acrylamide, polydodecyl methacrylate (PDMA), dodecyl methacrylate (DMA), poly-n-butyl acrylate (PnBA), styrene/acrylonitrile copolymer (AS), polypropylene-polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), acrylamide, N-acryloylmorpholine, 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA), N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM), 2-methoxyethyl acrylate (MEA), 2-methacryroyloxyethylphosphorylcholine (MPC), acrylamide/methacrylamide derivatives of carbohydrates, [3-(Methacryloylamino) propyl]dimethyl(3-sulfopropyl)ammonium hydroxide (SBMA), 1-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone (VP), basic monomers such as (3-acrylamidopropyl)trimethylammonium (APTA), allylamine (AA), 1,4-diaminobutane methacrylamide (DABMA), 2 acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid (AMPS), ethylene glycol methacrylate phosphate (EGMP), 2,2,2-trifluoroethyl methacrylate (TFEM), azobenzene containing copolymers of poly(ethyleneglycol) methacrylate, N-substituted acrylamides/methacrylamides (PAM), and combinations thereof.

13. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device comprises one or more stimuli producing elements configured to provide the stimulus to the grafted polymer brush coating.

14. The device of claim 1 , wherein the stimuli producing elements include a heating element configured to provide the stimulus to the grafted polymer brush coating.

15. The device of claim 1 , wherein the stimuli producing element comprises a lumen configured to provide a liquid stimulus to the grafted polymer brush coating.

16. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a control module capable of activating the at least one of the following: microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), piezoelectric technology, shaped-memory alloys (SMA), grafted polymers, stimuli producing elements, guide wires, and combinations thereof.

17. The device of claim 1 , further comprising at least one reservoir capable of delivering at least one therapeutic agent to the device.

18. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device is one or more of a catheter tip and a catheter.

19. The method of claim 8 , wherein attaching the stimuli producing element comprises attaching one or more of a heating element configured to provide heat and a lumen configured to deliver a liquid.

20. The method of claim 8 , wherein applying the grafted polymer brush coating comprises modifying the surface of the flexible substrate and binding the grafted polymer brush coating to the substrate.