Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 28, 2026
16:38
Bridging the Bio-Electronic Interface with Biofabrication
Published on: June 6, 2012
Recent advances in 4D-printed bioelectronics: materials, structural design, fabrication, and applications.
Baolin Yang1,2, Angxi Zhu3, Yahui Li3
1State Key Laboratory of Digital Medical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China. xjliu@seu.edu.cn,gu@seu.edu.cn.
Materials Horizons
|June 26, 2026
Summary
4D-printed bioelectronics use smart materials and programmable designs for adaptive, high-fidelity interfaces. These advanced bioelectronic devices offer improved performance and new possibilities in biomedical engineering.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Materials Science
- Additive Manufacturing
Background:
- Conventional bioelectronic interfaces face challenges like mechanical mismatch and inflammation.
- 4D printing offers adaptive solutions for improved bioelectronic device performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent advancements in 4D-printed bioelectronics.
- To explore smart materials, structural concepts, manufacturing strategies, and applications.
Main Methods:
- Review of smart materials (hydrogels, LCEs, SMPs) and structural designs (auxetic lattices, kirigami/origami).
- Evaluation of additive manufacturing techniques (vat photopolymerization, DIW, hybrid printing).
- Analysis of applications in neural interfaces, wearables, soft robotics, and implantable devices.
Main Results:
- 4D printing enables in situ shape transformation and modulus adaptation for dynamic compliance.
- Advanced manufacturing strategies ensure high-precision fabrication of complex bioelectronic devices.
- Demonstrated transformative applications across various biomedical fields.
Conclusions:
- 4D-printed bioelectronics represent a new paradigm for adaptive, high-fidelity biointerfaces.
- Future directions include long-term stability, multifunctionality, AI integration, and manufacturing standardization.
