4D Printing with Mechanically Robust, Thermally Actuating Hydrogels

Shannon E Bakarich; Robert Gorkin 3rd; Marc in het Panhuis; Geoffrey M Spinks

doi:10.1002/marc.201500079

4D Printing with Mechanically Robust, Thermally Actuating Hydrogels

Macromol Rapid Commun. 2015 Jun;36(12):1211-7. doi: 10.1002/marc.201500079. Epub 2015 Apr 10.

Authors

Shannon E Bakarich^{1

2}, Robert Gorkin 3rd¹, Marc in het Panhuis^{1

3}, Geoffrey M Spinks^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Intelligent Polymer Research Institute, ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science, AIIM Facility, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia.
² School of Mechanical Materials and Mechatronic Engineering, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia.
³ Soft Materials Group, School of Chemistry University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia.

PMID: 25864515
DOI: 10.1002/marc.201500079

Abstract

A smart valve is created by 4D printing of hydrogels that are both mechanically robust and thermally actuating. The printed hydrogels are made up of an interpenetrating network of alginate and poly(N-isopropylacrylamide). 4D structures are created by printing the "dynamic" hydrogel ink alongside other static materials.

Keywords: actuator; additive manufacturing; hydrogel; smart valve.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Acrylic Resins / chemistry*
Alginates / chemistry*
Glucuronic Acid / chemistry
Hexuronic Acids / chemistry
Hydrogels / chemistry*

Substances

Acrylic Resins
Alginates
Hexuronic Acids
Hydrogels
poly-N-isopropylacrylamide
Glucuronic Acid