4D Printing: From Self-Folding Proteins to Smart Textiles

Synopsis

Having structures that can transform in a pre-programmed way in response to an external stimulus is promising to a wide range of applications ranging from adaptative medical implants to designing smart textiles. In this talk, we will briefly introduce the emerging technology of 4D printing, smart shape-changing materials, and present some of the recent work done to create architectures with programmable anisotropy that morph into given target shapes upon immersion in water.