Vitrimers are reprocessing and recycling thermosetting plastics. They possess reconfigurable polymer networks that allow for unlimited transformation in shape in principle. However, current strategies to reshape the vitrimers typically involve heat or light, which often induces undesirable oxidation and decomposition. To address this issue, here a water‐assisted approach is proposed for programming epoxy vitrimers’ shapes. In this design, water molecules are utilized to reversibly dissociate the hydrogen bonds in epoxy vitrimers to enable the polymer segments to move flexibly. The hydrated epoxy vitrimers can then be reprogrammed and retained into different temporary shapes by removing the water. Such samples would be recovered to their original shapes by rehydration, exhibiting water‐induced shape memory property. More than temporary deformation, the permanent figures of the hydrated vitrimers can also be permanently changed at room temperature (rt) or elevated temperatures in the presence of transesterification catalysts. Combing the shape memory and high temperature plasticity or utilizing rt plasticity, sophisticated shapes such as spiral shapes are demonstrated. It is envisioned that this water‐assisted methodology can be useful in programming cross‐linked polymers into diverse 3D structures, which has wide practical applications in soft robots, deployable devices, aerospace materials, etc.

中文翻译：

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环氧 Vitrimer 的水辅助再处理和形状编程

Vitrimers 正在对热固性塑料进行再加工和回收。它们拥有可重构的聚合物网络，原则上允许无限的形状转变。然而，目前重塑玻璃体的策略通常涉及热或光，这通常会引起不希望的氧化和分解。为了解决这个问题，这里提出了一种水辅助方法来编程环氧玻璃体的形状。在该设计中，利用水分子可逆地解离环氧玻璃体中的氢键，使聚合物链段能够灵活移动。然后，水合环氧玻璃体可以被重新编程并通过去除水而保留成不同的临时形状。这些样品可以通过再水化恢复到原来的形状，表现出水诱导的形状记忆特性。除了暂时变形之外，水合玻璃体的永久形状还可以在室温 (rt) 或酯交换催化剂存在下的高温下永久改变。结合形状记忆和高温塑性或利用室温塑性，可以展示复杂的形状，例如螺旋形状。预计这种水辅助方法可用于将交联聚合物编程为各种 3D 结构，在软机器人、可部署设备、航空航天材料等方面具有广泛的实际应用。