permaterials
Permaterials are a proposed class of materials that enable persistent changes in physical properties when stimulated, and retain those states after the stimulus is removed. The term is used in some research contexts to describe systems that combine memory effects with tunable functionality. Permaterials typically integrate elements of smart materials, metamaterials, and reconfigurable polymers. The defining feature is non-volatile state change: a configuration or property that remains until another stimulus reprograms it. Mechanisms include reversible covalent or supramolecular bonding, phase-change domains, liquid-crystal alignment, and micro-architected lattices that reconfigure at micro or nano scales.
Examples of permaterials include shape-memory polymers that lock in a deformed configuration, electrochromic coatings that retain
Applications span adaptive optics, soft robotics, aerospace, civil engineering, and energy storage, where persistent tunability or
Permaterials are closely related to but distinct from programmable matter, smart materials, and metamaterials; the term