Current status and future outlook of 4D printing of polymers and composites-A prospective

作者：Malik Hassan, Amar K. Mohanty, Tao Wang, Hom Nath Dhakal, Manjusri Misra · 发表于：Composites Part C Open Access · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1016/j.jcomc.2025.100602 · 被引用次数：22 · 研究领域：Advanced Materials and Mechanics、Additive Manufacturing and 3D Printing Technologies、Dielectric materials and actuators

• Provides a comprehensive review of the advancements in 4D printing of polymers and composites, integrating time-responsive behavior into additive manufacturing. • Explores the principles, mechanisms, and key materials such as shape memory polymers, hydrogels, liquid crystal elastomers, and self-healing polymers. • Showcases diverse applications in biomedical engineering, aerospace, automotive, electronics, and soft robotics, emphasizing adaptive and self-assembling structures. • Identifies challenges in material limitations, computational complexities, and industrial scalability while proposing future research directions for optimization and broader adoption. Four-dimensional (4D) printing represents a transformative advancement in additive manufacturing, integrating time-responsive behavior into traditionally static three-dimensional (3D) printed structures. This emerging technology leverages stimuli-responsive materials such as shape memory polymers, hydrogels, liquid crystal elastomers, and smart composites that undergo controlled and reversible transformations when exposed to external triggers, including temperature, humidity, light, and magnetic or electric fields. Over the past decade, substantial research efforts have been directed toward refining material properties, optimizing printing parameters, and expanding the applicability of 4D printing across high-impact industries. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the fundamental principles, material innova...