3D Printing-guided Chiral Self-assembly in Cellulose-based Constructs

The chiral or helical arrangement found in biomolecules is known as the origin of the superior fracture resistance in the "smasher-type" mantis shrimp's dactyl club and the vivid metallic colors in beetles. In this talk, I present how combining the "bottom-up" molecular self-assembly with a "top-down" 3D printing technology can be exploited to program nano/microscale chiral arrangements in intricate geometries. Our inks are designed based on cellulosic materials enabling the formation of chiral nano/microstructures. We exploit the coupling of chiral twist energy, 3D printing flow dynamics and filaments' curved confinement to direct and tailor the hierarchical chiral self-assembly in printed constructs. Our biomimetic concept will open the way to developing materials with programable photonic responses and enhanced mechanical properties, naturally emerging from their nanostructure, and transferred into the larger scale printed architectures. This will expand 3D printing material technologies well beyond what has been conceived and attempted so far, into a new generation of nanocomposite and process design.