Towards Programmable 3D Structures at the Microscale

当前项目的目标是创造出可以按需编程的微观形状的物体。3D打印选择的技术是直接激光书写（DLW），也称为3D激光光刻，这是一种制备亚微米分辨率的3D微结构的优秀技术。特别是，基于形状记忆聚合物的光刻胶将被探索。随后，所开发的材料将通过激光打印用于制造动态3D微结构。此外，将对打印的微结构进行编程，并仔细研究它们对温度的响应。这些设想中的智能3D微型物体可能会彻底改变微型机器人和芯片实验室系统等新兴领域的应用，但对于当今的技术来说，这是非常具有挑战性的。

The aim of the current project is to create objects whose shape at the microscale can be programmed on demand. The technique selected for the 3D printing is direct laser writing (DLW) - also known as 3D laser lithography - an excellent technique for the preparation of 3D microstructures with submicron resolution. In particular, photoresists based on shape memory polymers will be explored. Subsequently, the developed materials will be employed for the manufacturing of dynamic 3D microstructures via laser printing. Additionally, the printed microstructures will be programmed and their response with temperature will be studied carefully. These envisaged smart 3D micro-objects can potentially revolutionize applications in emerging fields such as micro-robotics and lab-on-a-chip systems, yet very challenging with today´s technology.