Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Gaia De Angelis, Natascha Gray, Viviane Lutz-Bueno, Esther Amstad
Summary: Micrometer sized capsules with very thin shells of order 10 nm, formed by ionically crosslinking surfactants functionalized with catechol-derivatives, are impermeable to molecules as small as 340 Da even if loaded with cell culture media, indicating their potential for biomedical applications.
ADVANCED MATERIALS INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Houman Honaryar, Jacob A. LaNasa, Elisabeth C. Lloyd, Robert J. Hickey, Zahra Niroobakhsh
Summary: This study introduces a new liquid-in-liquid 3D printing approach to create constructs with internal nanostructures, overcoming limitations of traditional additive manufacturing methods. The mechanical properties of the printed materials can be tuned based on the composition of the aqueous solution, expanding the possibilities for low-viscosity materials in 3D printing and offering broad applications in regenerative medicine.
MACROMOLECULAR RAPID COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Nan Zhang, Jay Sanjayan
Summary: Quick Nozzle Mixing is a technique that solves the conflicting rheological requirements of buildability and pumpability in 3D concrete printing. The study investigates the mixing mechanism of concrete and the properties of mixing water with five surfactants. The results show that the surfactants play a significant role in mixing efficiency, with varying degrees of wetting ability.
CEMENT & CONCRETE COMPOSITES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Akash Garg, Saigopalakrishna S. Yerneni, Phil Campbell, Philip R. LeDuc, O. Burak Ozdoganlar
Summary: This work introduces a freeform 3D ice printing process that allows for high-speed and reproducible fabrication of ice structures with micro-scale resolution. The dimension and geometry of the structures are controlled through modulation of droplet ejection frequency and stage motions. This method enables the creation of complex geometries, overhang structures, smooth surfaces, and micro-scale features.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Hao Le, Xiaorui Wang, Yabo Wei, Yunfeng Zhao, Jian Zhang, Lianfu Zhang
Summary: This study tested the printing properties of gummy candies made from gelatin and low acyl gellan as gel, and various sweeteners. The addition of polyols affected the strength of hydrogen bonds and had an impact on the gelation temperature, gel network, and hydrogen bonding in the gel. The concentration of polyols also influenced the yield stress, shear recovery performance, and gel strength of the gummies. The best printing performance was achieved when ink with a specific combination of maltitol and erythritol was used.
Article
Engineering, Manufacturing
S. Barnes, L. Kirssin, E. Needham, E. Baharlou, D. E. Carr, J. Ma
Summary: This study investigates the feasibility of 3D printing soil structures that could support plant life. The results show that stand-alone soil structures can be successfully printed without additives using the extrusion method. By properly controlling the water content, the printed structures are capable of supporting germination and growth of plants. It is also found that the water retention abilities of the printed structures differ from potted soil of the same composition. The study demonstrates a fundamental difference in the soil-water characteristics of the extruded soils and correlates the drying characteristics with the ability of the soil to support plant growth in different soil textures.
ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Lucas Stuewe, Matthias Geiger, Franz Roellgen, Thorben Heinze, Marcus Reuter, Matthias Wessling, Stefan Hecht, John Linkhorst
Summary: This study advances the volumetric 3D printing technique xolography to a continuous process, enabling the continuous printing of objects with true shape and high resolution. By performing dual-color photopolymerization in a flowing resin within a specially designed flow cell, this technique offers the potential to scale up volumetric 3D printing and resolve the trade-off between high production rates and high resolution in light-based additive manufacturing.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Computer Science, Software Engineering
Mostafa Morsy Abdelkader Morsy, Alan Brunton, Philipp Urban
Summary: In this paper, we propose an efficient and purely geometric approach to improve surface quality and accuracy in voxel-controlled 3D printing by countering quantization artifacts. We utilize implicit shape dithering and shear transforms to optimize a 3D blue-noise mask for generating anisotropic dither signals adapted to the print resolution.
ACM TRANSACTIONS ON GRAPHICS
(2022)
Review
Chemistry, Physical
Haofan Liu, Liming He, Maja Kuzmanovic, Yiting Huang, Li Zhang, Yi Zhang, Qi Zhu, Ya Ren, Yinchu Dong, Ludwig Cardon, Maling Gou
Summary: 3D printing is recognized as a significant tool in medical research and clinical practice, leading to the development of medical 3D printing technology. By integrating nanotechnology into 3D printing, new opportunities for advancing the field of medical 3D printing are created. This review introduces strategies and progress in improving medical 3D printing through nanotechnology, as well as discusses challenges in clinical translation.
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Sara Nadine, Clara R. Correia, Joao F. Mano
Summary: The study proposes the use of liquefied capsules as an immunomodulatory 3D platform to evaluate the immune response following the implantation of biomedical devices. Experimental results show that chitosan-ending capsules and the presence of MSCs promote a more regenerative polarization balance of macrophages.
ADVANCED HEALTHCARE MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Lei Wu, Zhichao Dong
Summary: 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, eliminates the need for expensive molds or lithographic masks by directly converting computer-aided designs into delicate structures on demand. Light-based 3D printing, in particular, allows for high tunability in terms of printing format, speed, and precision. However, there are still challenges in achieving printing continuity, control over the printing process, and printing details. This article discusses and summarizes the field of slice- and light-based 3D printing from the perspective of interfacial regulation strategies and proposes potential strategies to construct complex 3D structures with distinct characteristics.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Yun-Woo Lee, Hakan Ceylan, Immihan Ceren Yasa, Ugur Kilic, Metin Sitti
Summary: Integrating stimuli-responsive materials with mobile magnetic micromachines can enhance their design toolbox, enabling independently controlled new functional capabilities to be defined. This can inspire future applications of 3D- and 4D-printed multifunctional mobile microrobots for precisely targeted obstructive interventions and lab- and organ-on-a-chip manipulations.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Junlong Liao, Changqing Ye, Jie Guo, Carlos Ezio Garciamendez-Mijares, Prajwal Agrawal, Xiao Kuang, Julia Olga Japo, Zixuan Wang, Xuan Mu, Wanlu Li, Terry Ching, Luis Santiago Mille, Cun Zhu, Xingcai Zhang, Zhongze Gu, Yu Shrike Zhang
Summary: A printable CPC ink was developed and used with a 3D printing system to create CPC superstructures with complex structures and structural colors. The performance of the printed objects could be easily adjusted by modifying ink composition and printing parameters. This technology opens up possibilities for applications such as intelligent color displays and 3D integrated sensors.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Junlong Liao, Changqing Ye, Jie Guo, Carlos Ezio Garciamendez-Mijares, Prajwal Agrawal, Xiao Kuang, Julia Olga Japo, Zixuan Wang, Xuan Mu, Wanlu Li, Terry Ching, Luis Santiago Mille, Cun Zhu, Xingcai Zhang, Zhongze Gu, Yu Shrike Zhang
Summary: A printable CPC ink was developed in this study, allowing the fabrication of CPC superstructures with specific geometries and structural colors. This technology enables the creation of CPCs with various desired functions and the mimicry of hierarchical structures and color manipulation strategies found in nature.
Review
Construction & Building Technology
Anastasia Puzatova, Pshtiwan Shakor, Vittoria Laghi, Maria Dmitrieva
Summary: This paper provides an overview of current construction 3D printing technologies and their differences, as well as data on the advantages of using these technologies in construction. It also discusses possible issues when transitioning from small-scale to large-scale printing. The paper identifies three types of construction 3D printers and notes that gantry printers are better suited for large-scale printing. Additionally, all printers are unable to print with concrete containing coarse aggregate.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Huachuan Du, Clemence Courregelongue, Jacinta Xto, Alan Bohlen, Mathias Steinacher, Camelia N. Borca, Thomas Huthwelker, Esther Amstad
CHEMISTRY OF MATERIALS
(2020)
Article
Crystallography
Anshul Sharma, Irvine Lian Hao Ong, Anupam Sengupta
Summary: The nematic and columnar phases of lyotropic chromonic liquid crystals (LCLCs) have been extensively studied for their importance in material science and medical diagnostics. This study focuses on the emergence of time dependent textures in confined LCLCs, using soft lithography, surface characterization, and polarized optical imaging to analyze the confinement-induced LCLC textures. Varying confinement geometry, anchoring conditions, and initial DSCG concentration allows for tuning the temporal dynamics of the N- to M-phase transition and textural behavior of the confined LCLC.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Alvaro Charlet, Matteo Hirsch, Sanjay Schreiber, Esther Amstad
Summary: Sustainable materials, such as recyclable polymers, are becoming more important due to their environmentally friendly nature. Fast prototyping methods are needed for customized products, and there is a need for soft materials that can meet contradictory requirements.
Article
Polymer Science
Michael Kessler, Quentin Nassisi, Esther Amstad
Summary: This study investigates the effect of microgel size and concentration on the processing and toughness of microgel-reinforced hydrogels (MRHs). It is found that processing and toughness depend on the inter-microgel connectivity, while the stress at break is solely dependent on the microgel size.
MACROMOLECULAR RAPID COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Gaia De Angelis, Viviane Lutz-Bueno, Esther Amstad
Summary: Ionically crosslinked hydrogels with metal coordination motifs have attracted researchers' interest due to their self-healing and adhesive properties. However, little is known about thin viscoelastic membranes with similar chelator-ion pair motifs. This study compares the mechanical properties of ionically crosslinked hydrogels and viscoelastic membranes, and finds that the viscoelastic membranes follow a similar trend as the hydrogels, becoming stronger with increased ion-chelator affinity. These findings enable the targeted design of self-healing, adhesive membranes with tunable mechanical properties.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ran Zhao, Nina Kolln Wittig, Gaia De Angelis, Tianyu Yuan, Matteo Hirsch, Henrik Birkedal, Esther Amstad
Summary: Nature creates hard functional materials from soft organic scaffolds that are mineralized, often making parts of these minerals porous to achieve energy-efficient locomotion. However, methods to produce synthetic minerals with a similar level of control over their porous structure remain elusive. This study presents a room temperature process that combines localized mineralization with emulsion-based 3D printing to create cm-sized biominerals with pores ranging from the 100 nm to mm length scale. These biominerals have high compressive strength and can form different types of bioactive minerals. The ability to 3D print these materials under benign conditions makes this energy-efficient process suitable for constructing lightweight yet load-bearing structures for various applications.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Michael Kessler, Tianyu Yuan, John M. Kolinski, Esther Amstad
Summary: The stiffness and toughness of conventional hydrogels decrease with increasing swelling, making them less suitable for load-bearing applications. However, reinforcing hydrogels with microgels can enhance their toughness. The volume fraction of microgels in the reinforced hydrogels determines their connectivity, which affects their stiffness and fracture toughness in fully swollen state.
MACROMOLECULAR RAPID COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Gaia De Angelis, Natascha Gray, Viviane Lutz-Bueno, Esther Amstad
Summary: Micrometer sized capsules with very thin shells of order 10 nm, formed by ionically crosslinking surfactants functionalized with catechol-derivatives, are impermeable to molecules as small as 340 Da even if loaded with cell culture media, indicating their potential for biomedical applications.
ADVANCED MATERIALS INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Eva Baur, Matteo Hirsch, Esther Amstad
Summary: This study presents a method to introduce controllable open pores into hydrogels while maintaining their mechanical properties. The hydrogels are 3D printable and the pore size can be tuned from nanometers to centimeters. This work allows for size-selective infiltration of different substances at specific locations.
ADVANCED MATERIALS TECHNOLOGIES
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Matteo Hirsch, Livia D'Onofrio, Qinghua Guan, Josie Hughes, Esther Amstad
Summary: Recent development in soft actuation requires resilient and responsive materials that can exhibit significant actuation forces. Hydrogels are responsive to stimuli but suffer from a stiffness-toughness compromise. 3D printing of hydrogels allows for controlled variations in local composition. Introducing metal-reinforced double network hydrogels (mrDNGHs) enables the combination of stiffness, toughness, and processability.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Matteo Hirsch, Lorenzo Lucherini, Ran Zhao, Alexandra Clara Saracho, Esther Amstad
Summary: Nature can control the structure and composition of materials, resulting in organic/inorganic composites with superior mechanical properties. Inspired by this, researchers have developed a process that utilizes compartmentalization to fabricate high-strength porous CaCO3-based composites using nature-derived materials. This system has potential applications in art restoration, coral regeneration, and repair of natural mineral-based materials.
Article
Materials Science, Biomaterials
Matteo Hirsch, Mathias Steinacher, Ran Zhao, Esther Amstad
Summary: The study introduces a competitive ligand-mediated approach to selectively and interchangeably reinforce metal-coordinated hydrogels, achieving controllable changes in mechanical properties and design innovation.
BIOMATERIALS SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Mohammad Suman Chowdhury, Wenshan Zheng, Abhishek Kumar Singh, Irvine Lian Hao Ong, Yong Hou, John A. Heyman, Abbas Faghani, Esther Amstad, David A. Weitz, Rainer Haag
Summary: This study designed, synthesized, and characterized four different types of fluorosurfactants, and found that the spatial geometry and polarity of the head group have significant impacts on the performance of fluorosurfactants in microfluidic droplets. Meanwhile, a method to improve the user-friendliness of fluorosurfactants was proposed through the research on their performance in microfluidic droplets.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Alvaro Charlet, Viviane Lutz-Bueno, Raffaele Mezzenga, Esther Amstad
Summary: Metal-coordinated hydrogels are physically crosslinked by complexes between ligands and metal ions, and their mechanical properties are dependent on the interactions' density. The properties of these hydrogels can be tuned by selecting different types of ions, impacting the relaxation times and resulting in different mechanical behaviors.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Matteo Hirsch, Alvaro Charlet, Esther Amstad
Summary: Many soft natural tissues possess unique mechanical properties achieved through complex interactions between structure and composition. To address the lack of control in soft synthetic materials, a novel 3D printing approach called double network granular hydrogels (DNGHs) has been introduced. These DNGHs are stiff enough to support high tensile loads and significantly tougher than pure polymeric networks. This ink allows for the printing of strong and tough objects with high shape fidelity, opening up new possibilities for soft robotic applications.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2021)
