Click polymerizations: Encouraging route for shape memory polymers

Abstract Shape memory polymers (SMPs) exhibit exceptional capability to memorise their original shape from a temporary shape by responding to a suitable external stimuli such as heat, pH, current, moisture and so on. Of late, click polymerizations are being emerged as a promising synthetic route to realize novel SMPs. This short-review discusses the recent growth observed in the field of SMPs based on copper catalysed azide-alkyne, thiol-ene and Diels- Alder polymerization methods. The merits, challenges and future directions are addressed.