4D-Printed Shape-Memory Architectures for Biomedical Devices and Morphing Systems
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64229/t20sy660Keywords:
4D Printing, Shape-Memory Polymers, Smart Materials, Additive Manufacturing, Biomedical Devices, Morphing Systems, Stimuli-ResponsiveAbstract
Four-dimensional (4D) printing, an advanced evolution of additive manufacturing (AM), creates objects that can transform their shape, properties, or functionality over time in response to specific external stimuli. This technology synergizes the design freedom of 3D printing with the dynamic capabilities of smart materials, particularly shape-memory polymers (SMPs) and their composites. This review article comprehensively explores the burgeoning field of 4D-printed shape-memory architectures, with a focused analysis on their transformative applications in biomedical devices and morphing systems. We begin by elucidating the fundamental mechanisms of the shape-memory effect (SME) in polymers and the critical role of material composition, programming methods, and stimulus-responsive behavior. The core of the discussion details the various 4D printing techniques—including material extrusion, vat photopolymerization, and powder bed fusion—suitable for processing SMPs, highlighting their respective advantages and limitations. A significant portion of the review is dedicated to groundbreaking applications in biomedicine, such as self-fitting implants, programmable stents, smart drug delivery systems, and minimally invasive surgical tools that can be deployed upon implantation. Parallelly, we investigate the use of 4D printing in creating morphing systems for broader engineering applications, including soft robotics, aerospace components, and adaptive structures. Finally, we address the current challenges, including material biocompatibility and long-term stability, printing resolution and scalability, and multi-material complexity, while projecting future research trajectories toward multi-stimuli responsiveness, predictive modeling, and full-scale industrial adoption. The integration of 4D printing with shape-memory architectures heralds a paradigm shift towards intelligent, adaptive, and personalized solutions across critical technological domains.
References
[1]Tibbits, S. (2014). 4D printing: Multi-material shape change. Architectural Design, *84*(1), 116–121. https://doi.org/10.1002/ad.1710
[2]Lendlein, A., & Kelch, S. (2002). Shape-memory polymers. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, *41*(12), 2034–2057. https://doi.org/10.1002/1521-3773(20020617)41:12%3C2034::AID-ANIE2034%3E3.0.CO;2-M
[3]Mao, Y., Yu, K., Isakov, M. S., Wu, J., Dunn, M. L., & Qi, H. J. (2015). Sequential self-folding structures by 3D printed digital shape memory polymers. Scientific Reports, *5*(1), 13616. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep13616
[4]Ge, Q., Qi, H. J., & Dunn, M. L. (2013). Active materials by four-dimension printing. Applied Physics Letters, *103*(13), 131901. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4819837
[5]Gladman, A. S., Matsumoto, E. A., Nuzzo, R. G., Mahadevan, L., & Lewis, J. A. (2016). Biomimetic 4D printing. Nature Materials, *15*(4), 413–418. https://doi.org/10.1038/nmat4544
[6]Zarek, M., Layani, M., Cooperstein, I., Sachyani, E., Cohn, D., & Magdassi, S. (2016). 3D printing of shape memory polymers for flexible electronic devices. Advanced Materials, *28*(22), 4449–4454. https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.201503132
[7]Kim, Y., Yuk, H., Zhao, R., Chester, S. A., & Zhao, X. (2018). Printing ferromagnetic domains for untethered fast-transforming soft materials. Nature, *558*(7709), 274–279. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-018-0185-0
[8]Gibson, I., Rosen, D., & Stucker, B. (2021). Additive manufacturing technologies: 3D printing, rapid prototyping, and direct digital manufacturing (3rd ed.). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2113-3
[9]Ge, Q., Sakhaei, A. H., Lee, H., Dunn, C. K., Fang, N. X., & Dunn, M. L. (2016). Multimaterial 4D printing with tailorable shape memory polymers. Scientific Reports, *6*(1), 31110. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep31110
[10]Wu, J., Yuan, C., Ding, Z., Isakov, M., Mao, Y., Wang, T., Dunn, M. L., & Qi, H. J. (2016). Multi-shape active composites by 3D printing of digital shape memory polymers. Scientific Reports, *6*(1), 24224. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep24224
[11]van Manen, T., Janbaz, S., & Zadpoor, A. A. (2017). Programming 2D/3D shape-shifting with hobbyist 3D printers. Materials Horizons, *4*(6), 1064–1069. https://doi.org/10.1039/C7MH00269F
[12]Huang, L., Jiang, R., Wu, J., Song, J., Bai, H., Li, B., Zhao, Q., & Xie, T. (2017). Ultrafast digital printing toward 4D shape changing materials. Advanced Materials, *29*(7), 1605390. https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.201605390
[13]Khoo, Z. X., Teoh, J. E. M., Liu, Y., Chua, C. K., Yang, S., An, J., Leong, K. F., & Yeong, W. Y. (2015). 3D printing of smart materials: A review on recent progresses in 4D printing. Virtual and Physical Prototyping, *10*(3), 103–122. https://doi.org/10.1080/17452759.2015.1097054
[14]Bakarich, S. E., Gorkin III, R., in het Panhuis, M., & Spinks, G. M. (2015). 4D printing with mechanically robust, thermally actuating hydrogels. Macromolecular Rapid Communications, *36*(12), 1211–1217. https://doi.org/10.1002/marc.201500079
[15]Kokkinis, D., Schaffner, M., & Studart, A. R. (2015). Multimaterial magnetically assisted 3D printing of composite materials. Nature Communications, *6*(1), 8643. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms9643
[16]Zhang, Y., Zhang, F., Yan, Z., Ma, Q., Li, X., Huang, Y., & Rogers, J. A. (2017). Printing, folding and assembly methods for forming 3D mesostructures in advanced materials. Nature Reviews Materials, *2*(4), 17019. https://doi.org/10.1038/natrevmats.2017.19
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Hinewairua Jones (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
