ABSTRACT
Intelligent materials, as well as new printing methodologies, have also significantly expanded the range of applications for 4D printing in the preceding years. The fundamentals of polymer science and engineering are discussed with crucial 4D-printing technologies. 4D printing's current limitations and potential future benefits are also examined. 4D-printed objects are commonly seen as macroscopic structures made of a single material that can only undergo point-to-point shape variation concerning heat or water. Polymer 4D printing, on the other hand, has seen recent advancements that challenge this belief. Additive manufacturing has made it possible to create new types of polymeric materials that can exhibit a wide range of exciting properties in reaction to non-internal stimuli. Hence, polymer 4D printing has expanded its capabilities over and above what was previously thought possible. Numerous studies in this review show how polymer 4D printing has evolved as well as a number of new areas of research that are critical to its future development. In this chapter, the particular discussion about versatile applications is discussed, and the future trend is assessed with the aid of patent landscape analysis.
