Four-Dimensional Printing: Design, Assembly, and Modeling of Responsive, Temporally Programmable Materials
Abstract
Our goal is to develop unprecedented capabilities in responsive materials via 4D printing: constructing complex objects through 3D direct writing using soft stimuli-responsive inks, which allow us to program the temporal behavior of the resulting structures. Hence, we are controlling not only the spatial dimensions of the sample, but also introducing and controlling the time-dependent behavior of the system. In effect, we are patterning in space and time. We will specifically focus on inks that integrate stimuli-responsive gels with stimuli-responsive, functionalized nanofibers, and in this manner, attempt to create composites with exceptional reconfigurability. The gels and fibers will be designed to respond to distinctly different external stimuli or to the same stimulus in a distinctly different manner. Within these composites, the gel will impart flexibility, while the high-modulus nanofibers will provide the necessary strength. The proposed research addresses the critical challenge of creating strong, temporally programmable materials that can effectively self-reconfigure in response to different external cues and thus, exhibit different functionality in different environments.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 05, 2021
- Accession Number
- AD1185443
Entities
People
- Anna S. Balazs
- Jennifer A. Lewis
- Ralph Nuzzo
Organizations
- University of Pittsburgh