Microperiodic structures: direct writing of three-dimensional webs.
Applications are emerging that require the creation of fine-scale structures in three dimensions--examples include scaffolds for tissue engineering, micro-fluidic devices and photonic materials that control light propagation over a range of frequencies. But writing methods such as dip-pen nanolithography and ink-jet printing are either confined to two dimensions or beset by wetting and spreading problems. Here we use concentrated polyelectrolyte inks to write three-dimensional microperiodic structures directly without using masks. Our technique enables us to write arbitrary three-dimensional patterns whose features are nearly two orders of magnitude smaller than those attained with other multilayer printing techniques.
Gratson
Gregory M
GM
Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory and Materials Science and Engineering Department, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA.
Xu
Mingjie
M
Lewis
Jennifer A
JA