Magnetic remote actuation of soft materials is attractive for applications such as transforming materials and medical robots. However, due to manufacturing limitations, microscale magnetoactive devices are scarce and light-based additive manufacturing methods, despite achieving microscale resolution, struggle with particle-induced light scattering. Moreover, large hard-magnetic microparticles restrict ultimate feature sizes and deformation of soft-magnetic nanoparticle composites […]
Shape memory polymers capable of recovering their original form after deformation are highly desirable for applications in soft robotics, biomedical engineering, and microfabrication. However, integrating shape memory properties into 3D-printed microstructures with ultra-low mass remains a challenge, as most existing systems lack sufficient resolution or mechanical robustness at the microscale. In this study, a poly(ε-caprolactone)-based […]
We present a modular design strategy for the one-step fabrication of arrays of magnetically responsive microactuators connected to the substrate via compliant hinges. We use direct laser writing in the form of two-photon crosslinking within bilayer films to generate three-dimensional microstructures in which magnetic nanoparticles are embedded in the upper layer. This part of the […]
Glasses are utilized for their outstanding optical, mechanical, and thermal properties. However, conventional production methods mostly yield in glasses with uniform compositions and material properties. Here a novel lithographic approach is presented for high-resolution 3D dopant integration at defined positions, which enables property modifications in specific regions. For this, a porous glass matrix derived from […]
Mechanical forces play a crucial role in many biological processes, including cell–cell and cell–matrix interactions. The generation of surface-attached multilayer micromagnet systems fabricated by two-photon lithography and the use of such systems to perform single-cell actuation are presented. The actuators are generated by two-photon crosslinking and consist of a soft and flexible surface-attached hydrogel layer […]
Direct laser writing has gained remarkable popularity by offering architectural control of 3D objects at submicron scales. However, it faces limitations when the fabrication of microstructures comprising multiple materials is desired. The generation processes of multi-material microstructures are often very complex, requiring meticulous alignment, as well as a series of step-and-repeat writing and development of […]
Silicate-based multicomponent glasses are of high interest for technical applications due to their tailored properties, such as an adaptable refractive index or coefficient of thermal expansion. However, the production of complex structured parts is associated with high effort, since glass components are usually shaped from high-temperature melts with subsequent mechanical or chemical postprocessing. Here for […]
Since the inception of 3D printing in the 1980s, there have been remarkable advancements that have given rise to a wide array of technologies. In the field of bioprinting, many of these technologies are being leveraged to embed living cells into precisely defined 3D structures. Droplet- and extrusion-based bioprinting, two of the earliest techniques, have […]
Transparent polycrystalline magnesium aluminate (MAS) spinel ceramics are of great interest for industry and academia due to their excellent optical and mechanical properties. However, shaping of MAS is notoriously challenging especially on the microscale requiring hazardous etching methods. Therefore, a photochemically curable nanocomposite is demonstrated that can be structured using high-resolution two-photon lithography. The printed […]
The popularity of two-photon direct laser writing in biological research is remarkable as this technique is capable of 3D fabrication of microstructures with unprecedented control, flexibility and precision. Nevertheless, potential impurities such as residual monomers and photoinitiators remaining unnoticed from the photopolymerization in the structures pose strong challenges for biological applications. Here, the first use […]
