Hydrogel microfish featuring biomimetic structures, locomotive capabilities, and functionalized nanoparticles are engineered using a rapid 3D printing platform: microscale continuous optical printing (μCOP). The 3D‐printed microfish exhibit chemically powered and magnetically guided propulsion, as well as highly efficient detoxification capabilities that highlight the technical versatility of this platform for engineering advanced functional microswimmers for diverse biomedical applications.
Polycarbonates are widely used in food packages, drink bottles, and various healthcare products such as dental sealants and tooth coatings. However, bisphenol A (BPA) and phosgene used in the production of commercial polycarbonates pose major concerns to public health safety. Here, we report a green pathway to prepare BPA-free polycarbonates (BFPs) by thermal ring-opening polymerization and photopolymerization. Polycarbonates prepared from two cyclic carbonates in different mole ratios demonstrated tunable mechanical stiffness, excellent thermal stability, and high optical transparency. Three-dimensional (3D) printing of the new BFPs was demonstrated using a two-photon laser direct writing system and a rapid 3D optical projection printer to produce structures possessing complex high-resolution geometries. Seeded C3H10T1/2 cells also showed over 95% viability with potential applications in biological studies. By combining biocompatible BFPs with 3D printing, novel safe and high-performance biomedical devices and healthcare products could be developed with broad long-term benefits to society.
J. Wang, S. Chen, and co‐workers use a newly developed 3D printing technique on page 4411 to print freely swimming microfish with diverse designs. The system uses light to print biocompatible hydrogels and functional nanoparticles into the biomimetic shape of fish at a feature size of 1 μm. These microfish are powered by harvesting the energy from the surrounding fluid environment and guided remotely by a magnetic field. Efficient detoxification is shown by incorporation of toxin‐absorbing functional nanoparticles. This work can be readily extended to engineer advanced functional biorobotics for diverse applications ranging from drug delivery to environmental detoxification.
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