Emerging Advances in 3-D & 4-D Printing of Polymeric Nanoarchitectures & Multifacet Applications

Abstract

3-Dimension printing (3-DPT) or additive manufacturing (AM) technology has been utilized for a while in the construction of customized 3-D objects utilizing computer software such as computer-aided design (CAD). However, the emergence of an innovative and new four-dimensional printing (4-DPT) has enabled the synergy of AM technology with programmable materials in transforming digital processes virtually into physical entities, thereby providing innovation and advanced functionalities. 4-DPT is a procedure facilitating 3-DPT components to undergo programming in order to enable the transformation of their shape with time on exposure to external stimuli such as physical stimuli, including light-responsivity, chemical responsivity, magnetic/electrical responsivity, pH response, thermo-sensitive as well as biological stimulation such as biomolecular responsivity. The inherent difference between 3-DPT and 4-DPT is premised on the shape-changing material (SCM) utilized during manufacturing, depicting the advanced material exhibiting the specified changes in responsivity to external parameters. Therefore, this elucidation presents emerging 4-DPT technology in manufacturing polymeric nanoarchitectures and applications. Furthermore, insight into 4-DPT techniques, including extrusion, direct ink writing (DIW), fused filament fabrication (FFF), and vat photo-polymerization strategies (digital light processing (DLP), stereo-lithography (SLA), and multi-photon polymerization (MPP), are also presented.