Projection micro-stereolithography of temperature responsive mechanically tough hydrogels

Abstract

Temperature responsive hydrogel has attracted considerable attention as an outstanding material for creating a variety of reconfigurable structures. As a well-known temperature responsive hydrogel, poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) has been widely used in various applications. Here, we report high resolution 3D micro fabrication of PNIPAAm structures using projection micro-stereolithography (PμSL). We also show the controllability of degree of swelling and transition temperature of 3D printed PNIPAAm structures by controlling process parameters of PμSL. In addition, we demonstrate improvement of mechanical properties of PNIPAAm by introducing ionic crosslinks into 3D printed PNIPAAm structures to form ionically and covalently crosslinked hybrid networks.