Controlled Desiccation of Preprinted Hydrogel Scaffolds Toward Complex 3D Microarchitectures

Cui, Chen1; Gao, Huai-Ling1; Wang, Ze-Yu1; Wen, Shao-Meng1; Wang, Lin-Jun1; Fan, Xiwen2; Gong, Xinglong2; Yu, Shu-Hong1,2,3

2022-12-01

10.1002/adma.202207388

ADVANCED MATERIALS   Impact Factor & Quartile

0935-9648

1521-4095

Additive manufacturing (AM) is the key to creating a wide variety of 3D structures with unique and programmable functionalities. Direct ink writing is one of the widely used AM technologies with numerous printable materials. However, the extrude-based method is limited by low fabrication resolution, which is confined to printing macrostructures. Herein, a new AM strategy is reported, using a low-cost extrusion 3D printer, to create 3D microarchitectures at the macroscopic level through controlled desiccation of preprinted hydrogel scaffolds followed by infilling objective components. A printable hydrogel with a high-water content ensures maximum shrinkage (approximate to 99.5% in volume) of the printed scaffolds to achieve high resolution. Stable covalent cross-linking and a suitable drying rate enable uniform shrinkage of the scaffolds to retain their original architectures. Particularly, this method can be adapted to produce liquid-metal-based 3D circuits and nanocomposite-based microrobots, indicating its capability to fabricate functional and complex 3D architectures with micron-level resolution from different material systems.

3D printing functional 3D architecture high shrinkage hydrogel scaffold microfabrication

SCI

English

NI Journal Papers

Others

[2021YFA0715700] ; [2018YFE0202201] ; [51732011] ; [22293044] ; [U1932213] ; [21975241] ; [GXXT-2019-028] ; [WK2340000112]

Chemistry ; Science & Technology - Other Topics ; Materials Science ; Physics

Chemistry, Multidisciplinary ; Chemistry, Physical ; Nanoscience & Nanotechnology ; Materials Science, Multidisciplinary ; Physics, Applied ; Physics, Condensed Matter

WOS:000898724600001

WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH

MATERIALS SCIENCE

Web of Science

1.Univ Sci & Technol China, Inst Biomimet Mat & Chem, Hefei Natl Res Ctr Phys Sci Microscale, Dept Chem, Hefei 230026, Peoples R China
2.Univ Sci & Technol China, Dept Modern Mech, CAS Key Lab Mech Behav & Design Mat, Hefei 230027, Anhui, Peoples R China
3.Southern Univ Sci & Technol, Inst Innovat Mat, Dept Mat Sci & Engn, Shenzhen 518055, Peoples R China

Cui, Chen,Gao, Huai-Ling,Wang, Ze-Yu,et al. Controlled Desiccation of Preprinted Hydrogel Scaffolds Toward Complex 3D Microarchitectures[J]. ADVANCED MATERIALS,2022.

Cui, Chen.,Gao, Huai-Ling.,Wang, Ze-Yu.,Wen, Shao-Meng.,Wang, Lin-Jun.,...&Yu, Shu-Hong.(2022).Controlled Desiccation of Preprinted Hydrogel Scaffolds Toward Complex 3D Microarchitectures.ADVANCED MATERIALS.

Cui, Chen,et al."Controlled Desiccation of Preprinted Hydrogel Scaffolds Toward Complex 3D Microarchitectures".ADVANCED MATERIALS (2022).