Four-Dimensional Printing of Multi-Material Origami and Kirigami-Inspired Hydrogel Self-Folding Structures
Four-dimensional printing refers to a process through which a 3D printed object transforms from one structure into another through the influence of an external energy input. Self-folding structures have been extensively studied to advance 3D printing technology into 4D using stimuli-responsive polym...
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Veröffentlicht in: | Materials 2024-10, Vol.17 (20), p.5028 |
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Format: | Artikel |
Sprache: | eng |
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Zusammenfassung: | Four-dimensional printing refers to a process through which a 3D printed object transforms from one structure into another through the influence of an external energy input. Self-folding structures have been extensively studied to advance 3D printing technology into 4D using stimuli-responsive polymers. Designing and applying self-folding structures requires an understanding of the material properties so that the structural designs can be tailored to the targeted applications. Poly(N-iso-propylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) was used as the thermo-responsive material in this study to 3D print hydrogel samples that can bend or fold with temperature changes. A double-layer printed structure, with PNIPAM as the self-folding layer and polyethylene glycol (PEG) as the supporting layer, provided the mechanical robustness and overall flexibility to accommodate geometric changes. The mechanical properties of the multi-material 3D printing were tested to confirm the contribution of the PEG support to the double-layer system. The desired folding of the structures, as a response to temperature changes, was obtained by adding kirigami-inspired cuts to the design. An excellent shape-shifting capability was obtained by tuning the design. The experimental observations were supported by COMSOL Multiphysics
software simulations, predicting the control over the folding of the double-layer systems. |
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ISSN: | 1996-1944 1996-1944 |
DOI: | 10.3390/ma17205028 |