Alignment and actuation of liquid crystals via 3D confinement and two-photon laser printing.

Liquid crystalline (LC) materials are especially suited for the preparation of active three-dimensional (3D) and 4D microstructures using two-photon laser printing. To achieve the desired actuation, the alignment of the LCs has to be controlled during the printing process. In most cases studied before, the alignment relied on surface modifications and complex alignment patterns and concomitant actuation were not possible.

Digital Light 3D Printing of Double Thermoplastics with Customizable Mechanical Properties and Versatile Reprocessability.

Digital light processing (DLP) is a 3D printing technology offering high resolution and speed. Printable materials are commonly based on multifunctional monomers, resulting in the formation of thermosets that usually cannot be reprocessed or recycled. Some efforts are made in DLP 3D printing of thermoplastic materials.

Recent Advances in Multi-Photon 3D Laser Printing: Active Materials and Applications.

Since the pioneering work of Kawata and colleagues in 1997, multi-photon 3D laser printing, also known as direct laser writing, has made significant advancements in a wide range of fields. Moreover, the development and commercialization of photocurable inks for this technique have expanded rapidly. One of the current trends is the transition from static to active printable materials, often referred to as 4D microprinting, which enables a new degree of control in the printed systems.

Synthesis of Polymers Containing Potassium Acyltrifluoroborates (KATs) and Post-polymerization Ligation and Conjugation.

We report the synthesis of monomers for atom-transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) and a reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) agent bearing trifluoroborate iminiums (TIMs), which are quantitatively converted into potassium acyltrifluoroborates (KATs) after polymerization. The resulting KAT-containing polymers are suitable for rapid amide-forming ligations for both post-polymerization modification and polymer conjugation. The polymer conjugation occurs rapidly, even under dilute (micromolar) aqueous conditions at ambient temperatures, thereby enabling the synthesis of a variety of linear and star-shaped block copolymers.