3D Printed Hydrogel-Based Electronics

Here at 3D Rapid Print, one of the fastest growing 3D Printing companies in the Thames Valley, we like to keep abreast of the latest innovations in 3D printing.

On January 10th 2023, science news website Tech Xplore spoke of a new way to 3D print hydrogel-based electronic devices by combining a stretchable silver-hydrogel 3D printing ink with a hydrogel-based support structure. This was developed by a group of researchers at the Westlake University of China and the Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, also of China. Tech Xplore argued that despite their potential for numerous applications in electronics, the widespread use of hydrogel-based devices has historically been hindered by high production costs, which it contended the team’s method could help lower. The team’s research was published in the journal Nature Electronics.

To demonstrate their concept, the team successfully made a series of working hydrogel-based electronic devices, including strain sensors, inductors and biological electrodes. For further work, they intend to improve their 3D printing technique so that it can be used for more large-scale applications. Tech Xplore hopes that the team’s work will lead to the creation of similar, more complex devices for uses including biomedical and environmental monitoring applications.

Another example of 3D printed hydrogel-based electronics involves Texas A&M University (TAMU). In August 2022, researchers there unveiled a new 3D printable flexible hydrogel, which was made by combining molybdenum disulfide with modified gelatine. TAMU argued that this would enable the team to make customisable bioelectronics tailored to patient-specific requirements. In particular, the team hoped that their ink would lead to the creation of 3D printed electronic tattoos for patients with Parkinson’s disease, which could monitor patients’ movements, including tremors. Their research was published in the journal ACS Nano.

3D printing is an amazing tool. It can grow your small business or start a mini revolution in an industry. Explore what it can do for you when you contact us today.

Disclaimer: Featured image of “Hydrogel (5941038964)” is in the public domain in the United States because it is a work of the United States Federal Government, specifically an employee of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, under the terms of Title 17, Chapter 1, Section 105 of the US Code.