ARTICLE Polydopamine modified ammonium polyphosphate modified shape memory water-borne epoxy composites with photo-responsive flame retardant property Shanwen Zhu | Wenjun Wang | Zahidul MD Islam | Yaqin Fu | Yubing Dong School of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, China Correspondence Yubing Dong, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, 310018, China. Email: dyb19831120@zstu.edu.cn Funding information International Science and Technology Cooperation Programme (CN), Grant/ Award Number: 2016YFE0125900; National Natural Science Foundation of China, Grant/Award Number: 5170324; National Training Programs of Innovation and Entrepreneurship for Undergraduates, Grant/Award Number: 201910338006; Science Foundation of Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Grant/Award Number: 19012179-Y; Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China, Grant/ Award Number: LY19E030010 Abstract Shape memory epoxy (SMEP) is a high performance shape memory polymer; however, is extremely flammable which severely restricts its applications. In this work, a novel polydopamine modified ammonium polyphosphate (PDA@APP) flame retardant was prepared to improve the flame retardant and enrich the response method of SMEP. Through flame retardancy test con- firmed that the flame retarding properties of the PDA@APP/WEP composites significantly improved than the APP/WEP composites, the limiting oxygen index (LOI) values of the APP/SMEP and the PDA@APP/SMEP samples increased by 29.8% and 32.2%, respectively. Moreover, the PDA@APP/WEP composites had excellent light response shape-memory performance. Interest- ingly, the PDA@APP/WEP treated polyester fabric exhibited excellent light crease recovery performance and excellent flame retardant property. This work develops a new method for fabric crease recovery and will help broaden the application of WEP and its composites. KEYWORDS composites, flame retardance, stimuli-sensitive polymers, thermosets 1 | INTRODUCTION In recent years, shape memory epoxy polymers (SMEP) has been attracted significant attention due to its excel- lent shape memory effect, mechanical property, environ- mental durability, convenient processing, chemical resistance, thermal stability, and high shape memory fix- ing and recovery ratio. 1–6 In our previous studies, we developed environmentally friendly high performance shape memory through self-assemble water-borne epoxy (WEP), which has a wide range of commercial applica- tions in coating, adhesive and composite materials. 7,8 However, WEP is extremely flammable as like most SMP, which excessively limits the range of application. Generally, in the process of using SMP, most of the driv- ing methods are indirectly generate heat to transform its shape and recovery, which cause fire damages when glass transform temperature is higher in SMP. 9,10 For example, the temperature of the infrared light can instantly reach the point of ignition, thereby generate flame, burning, and posing a fire hazard on near-infrared light-responsive SMPs. Especially higher glass transition temperature of SMP, triggered higher temperature to increases the potential flammability and fire risk where necessary to introduce the function of flame retardancy to reduce the potential fire hazard. Nowadays, it is a high demand to improve the flame retardant performance of SMP to expand the application field of SMP. Received: 19 March 2020 Revised: 29 May 2020 Accepted: 14 June 2020 DOI: 10.1002/app.49696 J Appl Polym Sci. 2020;e49696. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/app © 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC 1 of 12 https://doi.org/10.1002/app.49696