Yang Lab3D printing of bone implants using hydroxyapatite (HAP) or its composites, like HATCP, is revolutionizing orthopedics. This technique enables the creation of patient-specific, biocompatible scaffolds that perfectly match bone defects. These printed structures are osteoconductive, actively encouraging new bone growth and integration for superior healing outcomes.
we present a strategy to build a star-nose-inspired sensor with stretchable and twistable structure, where the nose’s ray-like parallel polyimide films were fabricated by electrospinning and chemical silver coating. The sensor is finally encapsulated in PDMS and its sensitivity is significantly improved due to the design of bio-inspired parallel films. The bio-inspired sensor finally exhibits ultra-light, ultra-thin, and high sensitivity (Gauge Factor (GF) ~ 4000) characteristics, ensuring a perfect fit for human skin to achieve stretch, twist (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211285520311332)
We present a route to build nacre-inspired hierarchical structures with complex three-dimensional (3D) shapes by electrically assisted 3D printing. Graphene nanoplatelet (GN) is aligned by electric field (433V/cm) during 3D printing and act as brick with polymer matrix in between as mortar. The 3D printed structures with aligned GN show reinforced mechanical property as well as 100 times reduced electrical resistance compared with random GN with the same loading. The 3D printed nacre with aligned GN (2wt%) shows lightweight (1.06g/cm3) while comparable specific toughness and strength with natural nacre. Besides, 3D printed lightweight smart armor with aligned GN can sense its own damage with a hesitated resistance change as well as protective high impact resistance. This study also highlights interesting possibilities in achieving bioinspired structures with integrated mechanical reinforcement and electrical self-sensing in biomedical, aerospace engineering as well as military and sports armors.(https://www.science.org/doi/full/10.1126/sciadv.aau9490)
Here we report an electrically assisted additive manufacturing approach that bio-mimic the Bouligand structure in natural creatures to create highly impact resistant architectures. The alignment of surface modified Multi-walled Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNT-S) was controlled by rotating electric field during printing. (https://advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/adma.201605750?scrollTo=references)
Here, a bioinspired microneedle array is fabricated using magnetic field-assisted 3D printing (MF-3DP). Micro-bundles of aligned iron oxide nanoparticles (aIOs) are encapsulated by polymer matrix during the printing process. A bioinspired 3D-printed painless microneedle array is fabricated, and suitability of this microneedle patch for drug delivery during long-term wear is demonstrated. (https://advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/adfm.202003725)
In this paper, superhydrophobic micro-scale artificial hairs with eggbeater heads inspired by Salvinia molesta leaf was fabricated by the Immersed surface accumulation three dimensional (3D) printing process. The 3D printed eggbeater surface reveals interesting properties in terms of superhydrophobilicity and petal effect. The results show that the 3D-printed eggbeater structure could have numerous applications, including water droplet manipulation, 3D cell culture, micro reactor, oil spill clean-up, and oil/water separation.. (https://advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/adma.201704912)
Wearable thermoelectric energy harvester by using waste heat from human body. we report a stretchable TEG (S-TEG) (over 50% stretchability of the entire device) that is geometrically suitable for various complex and dynamic surfaces of heat sources. The S-TEG consists of hot-pressed nanolayered p-(Sb2Te3) and n-(Bi2Te3)-type thermoelectric couple arrays and exploits the wavy serpentine interconnects to integrate all units. (https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acs.nanolett.0c01225)
Herein, we report a strategy to grow the recyclable and healable piezoelectric Rochelle salt crystals in 3D-printed cuttlebone-inspired structures to form a new composite for reinforcement smart monitoring devices. (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-41740-6)
