Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2025 Jul;24(7):1116-1125.
doi: 10.1038/s41563-025-02249-z. Epub 2025 Jun 30.

Hybrid epoxy-acrylate resins for wavelength-selective multimaterial 3D printing

Ji-Won Kim #  1 , Marshall J Allen #  1   2 , Elizabeth A Recker  2 , Lynn M Stevens  1 , Henry L Cater  1 , Ain Uddin  1 , Ang Gao  3 , Wyatt Eckstrom  3 , Anthony J Arrowood  2 , Gabriel E Sanoja  2 , Michael A Cullinan  3 , Benny D Freeman  2 , Zachariah A Page  4   5
Affiliations

Hybrid epoxy-acrylate resins for wavelength-selective multimaterial 3D printing

Ji-Won Kim et al. Nat Mater. 2025 Jul.

Abstract

Structures in nature combine hard and soft materials in precise three-dimensional (3D) arrangements, imbuing bulk properties and functionalities that remain elusive to mimic synthetically. However, the potential for biomimetic analogues to seamlessly interface hard materials with soft interfaces has driven the demand for innovative chemistries and manufacturing approaches. Here, we report a liquid resin for rapid, high-resolution digital light processing (DLP) 3D printing of multimaterial objects with an unprecedented combination of strength, elasticity and resistance to ageing. A covalently bound hybrid epoxy-acrylate monomer precludes plasticization of soft domains, while a wavelength-selective photosensitizer accelerates cationic curing of hard domains. Using dual projection for multicolour DLP 3D printing, bioinspired metamaterial structures are fabricated, including hard springs embedded in a soft cylinder to adjust compressive behaviour and a detailed knee joint featuring 'bones' and 'ligaments' for smooth motion. Finally, a proof-of-concept device demonstrates selective stretching for electronics.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: Z.A.P., M.J.A. and J.-W.K. have filed an international patent (application no. PCT/US2024/035169) related to this work. The other authors declare no competing interests.

References

    1. Ghazlan, A. et al. Inspiration from Nature’s body armours—a review of biological and bioinspired composites. Composites B 205, 108513 (2021).
    1. Peisker, H., Michels, J. & Gorb, S. N. Evidence for a material gradient in the adhesive tarsal setae of the ladybird beetle Coccinella septempunctata. Nat. Commun. 4, 1661 (2013). - PubMed
    1. Nazir, A. et al. Multi-material additive manufacturing: a systematic review of design, properties, applications, challenges, and 3D printing of materials and cellular metamaterials. Mater. Des. 226, 111661 (2023).
    1. Yang, Y. et al. Recent progress in biomimetic additive manufacturing technology: from materials to functional structures. Adv. Mater. 30, 1706539 (2018).
    1. Studart, A. R. Additive manufacturing of biologically-inspired materials. Chem. Soc. Rev. 45, 359–376 (2016). - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources