Now, researchers led by Liheng Cai have created a remarkable new 3D-printable polymer. This groundbreaking material has the potential to transform medical technology and energy storage technologies. This advanced material incorporates a printable, foldable bottlebrush design. Its tunability allows it to form complex shapes with engineered micro- and macro-scale properties, making it perfect for applications from organ transplants to next generation battery materials.
This latest polymer’s development follows a branch of research from Cai’s lab, which took the foldable bottlebrush principle and adapted it to create polyethylene glycol (PEG). In their tests, the researchers grew cells on top of these media to make sure these materials would work within biological systems. After a five-month wait, the results came back that the new polymer was cell-growth-friendly, indicating its promise for less harmful medical use.
To start the polymerization process, Cai shone ultraviolet (UV) light on the precursor mixture for only a few seconds. Claudin et al This exposure to the physiological environment establishes a complex bottlebrush-architecture network. We can engineer it to grow complex, soft and stiff structures, while making it stretchable by design. The researchers noted that by altering the shape of the UV lights during the process, they could develop a wide array of intricate structures.
Liheng Cai expressed optimism about the implications of their findings, stating, “This property highlights the new material as a promising high-performance solid-state electrolyte for advanced battery technologies.” He further emphasized that the work is not finished, noting, “Our team continues to explore potential extensions of the research in solid-state battery technologies.”
Baiqiang Huang, another member of Cai’s research team, echoed this sentiment about the new material’s versatility. “We can change the shape of the UV lights to create so many complicated structures,” he said, underlining the flexibility offered by this innovative approach.
The implications of these foldable bottlebrush polymers stretch far beyond energy storage into the world of medicine. Better compatibility with the body’s immune system could make organ transplants safer, and allow for new drug delivery systems. Her groundbreaking discovery opened the door to better targeted therapies.
Those research results were recently published in the journal Advanced Materials DOI 10.1002/adma.202512806.