Magnetically Responsive Melt Electrowritten Structures

While melt electrowriting (MEW) can result in complex microstructures, research demonstrating such fabrication with active materials is limited. Herein, magnetoresponsive poly(?-caprolactone) (PCL) inks containing up to 10 wt% of iron-oxide (Fe3O4) nanoparticles are used produce fiber diameters 9.2 ± 0.6 µm ordered microstructures when processed by MEW. Introducing the Fe3O4 has a minimal overall effect on printing quality compared pure PCL under similar conditions. The magnetic response fibers allows actuation, which one first steps control movement structures. Printed samples show different responses that be controlled micro- and macro-structure design, nanoparticle concentration, multi-material design. potential MEW print macro-structures for 4D designs demonstrated, properties further tailored fillers varying characteristics changing diameters.