Italian and Israeli scientists 3D print self healing hydrogel

Scientists from the Italian Polytechnic University of Turin and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel used digital light processing (DLP) 3D printing technology to print complex shapes with water gel, and these structures can self repair when damaged. This achievement was recently published in Nature Communication.

Hydrogel is a polymeric material containing a large amount of water, which can reproduce the characteristics of biological tissue and has important applications in many fields. So far, hydrogels have only been processed by additive manufacturing technology based on micro extrusion, and the freedom of design and resolution is limited. In this study, scientists used commercially available materials and commercial digital light processing 3D printing technology to print water gel. These hydrogels are based on semi interpenetrating polymer networks and can repair themselves. Self repair occurs quickly at room temperature without any external triggering. After reconnection, the sample can withstand deformation and recover 72% of its initial strength after 12 hours.

Professor Ignazio Roppolo, the project coordinator, stated that compared to traditional extrusion based additive manufacturing, 3D printing has greater versatility and accuracy. It allows for the design of more complex shapes and ensures that the final result is faithful to the design on the computer. This self-healing structure can not only be applied in regenerative medicine, but also has important application potential in wearable sensors, soft robots, and energy harvesting fields.

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