Digitally tunable physicochemical coding of material composition and topography in continuous microfibres.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Biomaterials Engineering
• Microfluidics

Background:

• Nature frequently utilizes heterotypic functional materials with complex spatiotemporal variations.
• Laboratory fabrication of such intricate materials presents significant challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel method for fabricating microfibres with tunable and complex features.
• To mimic natural material synthesis, specifically the silk-spinning process of spiders.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a microfluidic system with digital, programmable flow control.
• Fabricated hydrogel microfibres with controlled chemical composition and topography.
• Incorporated features like gas micro-bubbles and nanoporous structures.

Main Results:

• Successfully created microfibres with spatially varying chemical and topographical properties.
• Demonstrated directional water collection capabilities using fabricated microfibres.
• Developed multifunctional microfibres for tissue engineering with spatially controlled cell co-cultures.

Conclusions:

• The described microfluidic method offers a powerful tool for creating advanced functional materials.
• This approach has potential applications in water harvesting and regenerative medicine.
• The technique provides a pathway to replicate nature's material complexity in synthetic systems.