Robust and precise three-dimensional printing of high-amylose starch gels via concentrated calcium chloride...

Starch-based thermo-extrusion 3D printing inks commonly suffer from low precision and poor stability, coupled with weak gel strength, rendering them unsuitable for diverse applications. This study proposes that a calcium chloride-mediated gelation strategy effectively addresses these issues. To this end, we prepared a series of inks using corn starch with varying amylose contents through a two-step method combined with high-concentration calcium chloride, followed by systematic characterization. Results demonstrate that high-amylose starch-based inks exhibit superior printability. Calcium chloride disrupts the starch's natural crystalline structure, forming a stable amorphous network that significantly enhances water retention and print resolution. Among these, the G50-29% gel exhibits optimal comprehensive properties, featuring excellent tensile and compressive strength. This efficient, scalable method significantly enhances the printability, mechanical strength, and structural stability of starch-based inks, laying the foundation for their application in flexible sensors and other fields.