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Author Spotlight: Direct Infusion Device for Molecule Delivery in Plants
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Freeform Manufacturing of Plant-Based Structural Colors for Scalable Photonic and Mechanochromic Devices
Xiao Song1,2, Peiqi Niu1,2, Wenxi Gu1,2
1Department of Electromechanical Engineering, University of Macau, Macau, China.
Advanced Materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
|February 6, 2026
Summary
Researchers developed a sustainable 3D printing method using plant-derived hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) to create large-scale, vibrantly colored structural materials. This innovation enables complex photonic devices and adaptive hydrogel actuators with tunable colors.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Biomaterials Engineering
- Optics and Photonics
Background:
- Plant-derived materials offer sustainable alternatives for photonic devices.
- Fabricating large-scale, optically precise structures from natural polymers is difficult.
- Existing methods struggle with maintaining structural integrity and color fidelity in complex designs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a scalable fabrication method for plant-based structural colored materials.
- To enable the creation of complex photonic architectures with high optical fidelity.
- To demonstrate the utility of these materials in adaptive hydrogel actuators and displays.
Main Methods:
- An aqueous two-phase system using a food-grade support medium was employed for freeform fabrication.
- Embedded 3D printing of hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) structures within an immiscible aqueous environment.
- Post-extrusion recovery of HPC cholesteric liquid crystal domains to achieve structural color.
Main Results:
- Stable processing of large-scale structural colored materials with < 3% wavelength shift over three days.
- Fabrication of intricate constructs with feature sizes down to 50 µm and color consistency over >10 cm.
- Demonstration of non-planar, mechanochromic hydrogel actuators and color-shifting displays for various applications.
Conclusions:
- The developed aqueous two-phase strategy enables sustainable, large-scale manufacturing of plant-based structural colored materials.
- This green manufacturing approach opens new possibilities for photonic devices, adaptive actuation, and human-machine interaction.
- The technique is suitable for industrially relevant applications requiring precise optical properties and tunable colors.
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