4D printing of highly printable and shape morphing hydrogels composed of alginate and methylcellulose

Jiahui Lai; Xinliang Ye; Jia Liu; Chong Wang; Junzhi Li; Xiang Wang; Mingze Ma; Min Wang

Materials & Design (Jul 2021)

4D printing of highly printable and shape morphing hydrogels composed of alginate and methylcellulose

Jiahui Lai,
Xinliang Ye,
Jia Liu,
Chong Wang,
Junzhi Li,
Xiang Wang,
Mingze Ma,
Min Wang

Affiliations

Jiahui Lai: Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Xinliang Ye: School of Mechanical Engineering, Dongguan University of Technology, Songshan Lake, Dongguan, PR China
Jia Liu: Department of Orthopaedics, Affiliated Hospital of Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities, Baise, Guangxi, PR China
Chong Wang: School of Mechanical Engineering, Dongguan University of Technology, Songshan Lake, Dongguan, PR China; Corresponding authors at: School of Mechanical Engineering, Dongguan University of Technology, 1 Daxue Road, Songshan Lake, Dongguan, PR China (C. Wang); Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, PR China (M. Wang).
Junzhi Li: Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Xiang Wang: School of Mechanical Engineering, Dongguan University of Technology, Songshan Lake, Dongguan, PR China
Mingze Ma: Guangdong Key Laboratory for Biomedical Measurements and Ultrasound Imaging, Health Science Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, PR China
Min Wang: Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; Corresponding authors at: School of Mechanical Engineering, Dongguan University of Technology, 1 Daxue Road, Songshan Lake, Dongguan, PR China (C. Wang); Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, PR China (M. Wang).

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 205
p. 109699

Abstract

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4D printing of swellable/shrinkable hydrogels has been viewed as an appealing approach for fabricating dynamic structures for various biomedical applications. However, 4D printing of precise hydrogel structures is still highly challenging due to the relatively poor printability of hydrogels and high surface roughness of printed patterns, when micro extrusion-based 3D printers are used. In this study, a highly printable and shape morphing hydrogel was investigated for 4D printing by blending alginate (Alg) and methylcellulose (MC). The optimized Alg/MC hydrogel exhibited excellent rheological properties, extrudability and shape fidelity of printed structures. The printable Alg/MC hydrogel was 4D printed into a series of patterned 2D architectures which were encoded with anisotropic stiffness and swelling behaviors by strategically controlling the network density gradients vertical to the orientation of the patterned strips. By controlling the strip interspacing and angle, these 2D architectures could transform into various prescribed simple 3D morphologies (e.g., tube-curling and helix) and complex 3D morphologies (e.g., double helix and flowers) after immersion in a calcium chloride solution. This shape morphing Alg/MC hydrogel with excellent printability has high potential for 4D printing of delicate hydrogel patterns, which are increasingly needed in the tissue engineering, biomedical device and soft robotics fields.

Published in Materials & Design

ISSN: 0264-1275 (Print); 1873-4197 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Technology: Electrical engineering. Electronics. Nuclear engineering: Materials of engineering and construction. Mechanics of materials
Website: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/materials-and-design

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