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4D printing has attracted tremendous interest since its first conceptualization in 2013. 4D printing derived from the fast growth and interdisciplinary research of smart materials, 3D printer, and design. Compared with the static objects created by 3D printing, 4D printing allows a 3D printed structure to change its configuration or function with time in response to external stimuli such as temperature, light, water, etc., which makes 3D printing alive. Herein, the material systems used in 4D printing are reviewed, with emphasis on mechanisms and potential applications. After a brief overview of the definition, history, and basic elements of 4D printing, the state‐of‐the‐art advances in 4D printing for shape‐shifting materials are reviewed in detail. Both single material and multiple materials using different mechanisms for shape changing are summarized. In addition, 4D printing of multifunctional materials, such as 4D bioprinting, is briefly introduced. Finally, the trend of 4D printing and the perspectives for this exciting new field are highlighted.

Pattern switching (or transformation) widely exists in the activities of various creatures and plays an important role in designing adaptive structures in modern materials. Utilizing the glass transition behavior in amorphous polymers, thermomechanically triggered two‐stage pattern switching of 2D lattices is achieved, where components made of an amorphous polymer and a flexible elastomer are interconnected in predesigned layouts. Upon loading at room temperature, the elastomer is far more flexible than the amorphous polymer and the lattice switches into one pattern. With temperature increasing, the modulus of the amorphous polymer decreases due to glass transition. Under the proper choice of amorphous polymer whose storage modulus can decrease to below the modulus of the elastomer, a change in the relative stiffness can be achieved and can switch the overall pattern from one to another while maintaining the external load. Both the experimental and computational studies are carried out to investigate the switching mechanism. Several periodic structures are fabricated to demonstrate several switched patterns. Particularly, a proof‐of‐concept smart window design is fabricated to explore the potential engineering applications.

Both environmental and economic factors have driven the development of recycling routes for the increasing amount of composite waste generated. This paper presents a new paradigm to fully recycle epoxy‐based carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites. After immersing the composite in ethylene glycol (EG) and increasing the temperature, the epoxy matrix can be dissolved as the EG molecules participate in bond exchange reactions (BERs) within the covalent adaptable network (CAN), effectively breaking the long polymer chains into small segments. The clean carbon fibers can be then reclaimed with the same dimensions and mechanical properties as those of fresh ones. Both the dissolution rate and the minimum amount of EG required to fully dissolve the CAN are experimentally determined. Further heating the dissolved solution leads to repolymerization of the epoxy matrix, so a new generation of composite can be fabricated by using the recycled fiber and epoxy; in this way a closed‐loop near 100% recycling paradigm is realized. In addition, epoxy composites with surface damage are shown to be fully repaired. Both the recycled and the repaired composites exhibit the same level of mechanical properties as fresh materials.