| Abstract Scope |
Hydrogels, hydrophilic polymer networks retaining significant water, have revolutionized wearable electronics, tissue engineering, wound healing, and drug delivery. 3D printing enhances hydrogel development with its resource efficiency, rapid prototyping, and design flexibility. We introduce a high-resolution 3D printing technique, micro-continuous liquid interface production (µCLIP), to print functional hydrogels, including ion-conductive self-healing (SH) and electroactive hydrogels (EAH). EAHs, composed of 4-hydroxybutyl acrylate (4-HBA) and acrylic acid (AA), exhibit electroactuation, generating osmotic pressure and bending towards the cathode under an electric field. This study demonstrates the EAH’s strength, flexibility, and responsiveness across various compositions and electric field strengths. The µCLIP process enables the creation of sophisticated structures, such as lattices, paving the way for breakthroughs in soft robotics, wearable electronics, and medical devices, marking a significant advancement in electroactive materials.
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