Jennifer Lewis, professor of materials science and engineering, led the research team that created a new method for constructing complext three-dimensional structures for biocompatible devices. Graduate student Chris Hansen, left, and postdoctoral research associate Bok Yeop Ahn were on the team.
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. Although it looks small and unassuming, the tiny origami crane sitting in a sample dish in University of Illinois professor Jennifer Lewis? lab heralds a new method for creating complex three-dimensional structures for biocompatible devices, microscaffolding and other microsystems. The penny-sized titanium bird began as a printed sheet of titanium hydride ink. The team will publish their novel technique today (April 14) in the online edition of the journal Advanced Materials. Small, intricate shapes made of metals, ceramics or polymers have a variety of applications, from biomedical devices to electronics to rapid prototyping. One method of fabricating such structures is by direct-write assembly, which the Lewis group helped pioneer. In this approach, a large printer deposits inks containing metallic, ceramic or plastic particles to assemble a structure layer by layer.
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