Photoactive Self‐Shaping Hydrogels as Noncontact 3D Macro/Microscopic Photoprinting Platforms

Authors:
Publisher website
Google Scholar
Abstract
A photocleavable terpolymer hydrogel cross‐linked with o‐nitrobenzyl derivative cross‐linker is shown to be capable of self‐shaping without losing its physical integrity and robustness due to spontaneous asymmetric swelling of network caused by UV‐light‐induced gradient cleavage of chemical cross‐linkages. The continuum model and finite element method are used to elucidate the curling mechanism underlying. Remarkably, based on the self‐changing principle, the photosensitive hydrogels can be developed as photoprinting soft and wet platforms onto which specific 3D characters and images are faithfully duplicated in macro/microscale without contact by UV light irradiation under the cover of customized photomasks. Importantly, a quick response (QR) code is accurately printed on the photoactive hydrogel for the first time. Scanning QR code with a smartphone can quickly connect to a web page. This photoactive hydrogel is promising to be a new printing or recording material. image

This publication has 35 references indexed in Scilit: