Guo Zhengqiang, Xie Weigui, Liu Wangyu
College of Engineering, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, PR China.
School of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510641, PR China; School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, 639798, Singapore.
Int J Biol Macromol. 2025 Apr;302:140571. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.140571. Epub 2025 Jan 31.
The advancement of three-dimensional (3D) printing technology has further promoted the scientific progression of hydrogels within the realm of wearable devices. However, when the viscosity of the hydrogel precursor is large but does not meet the self-supporting requirements, or lacks the participation of monomer with gel phase change characteristics, the 3D printing preparation of hydrogels often becomes difficult. This study delves into a novel 3D printing method aimed at combining direct ink writing (DIW) with vat photopolymerization (VPP) to achieve a broad spectrum of adjustable mechanical properties by introducing cellulose as a medium to modulate both the mechanical and rheological properties of hydrogels. This hybrid method facilitates the efficacious printing preparation of low-viscosity hydrogels, thereby mitigating the stringent viscosity prerequisites inherent in printable hydrogels. Furthermore, the employment of a dual-core coaxial printing technique for the hybrid printing of hydrogel and elastomer serves to ameliorate hydrogel water loss predicaments. As a result, this new 3D printing method broadens the mechanical properties of printable hydrogels and the adjustable range of system viscosity. At the same time, it realizes the integrated printing of encapsulation layer, and improves the service life of hydrogels, and can be applied to the hydrogel-based sensors.
三维（3D）打印技术的进步进一步推动了水凝胶在可穿戴设备领域的科学发展。然而，当水凝胶前驱体的粘度较大但不满足自支撑要求，或缺乏具有凝胶相变特性的单体参与时，水凝胶的3D打印制备往往变得困难。本研究深入探讨了一种新颖的3D打印方法，旨在将直接墨水书写（DIW）与光固化3D打印（VPP）相结合，通过引入纤维素作为介质来调节水凝胶的机械和流变性能，从而实现广泛的可调机械性能。这种混合方法有助于有效地打印制备低粘度水凝胶，从而减轻了可打印水凝胶固有的严格粘度要求。此外，采用双核同轴打印技术对水凝胶和弹性体进行混合打印，有助于改善水凝胶的失水困境。因此，这种新的3D打印方法拓宽了可打印水凝胶的机械性能和系统粘度的可调范围。同时，它实现了封装层的一体化打印，提高了水凝胶的使用寿命，并且可以应用于基于水凝胶的传感器。
