Biomimetic Anisotropic Reinforcement Architectures by Electrically Assisted Nanocomposite 3D Printing

Adv Mater. 2017 Mar;29(11):10.1002/adma.201605750. doi: 10.1002/adma.201605750. Epub 2017 Feb 10.

Abstract

Biomimetic architectures with Bouligand-type carbon nanotubes are fabricated by an electrically assisted 3D-printing method. The enhanced impact resistance is attributed to the energy dissipation by the rotating anisotropic layers. This approach is used to mimic the collagen-fiber alignment in the human meniscus to create a reinforced artificial meniscus with circumferentially and radially aligned carbon nanotubes.

Keywords: anisotropic properties; artificial meniscus; biomimetics; electrically assisted 3D printing; high impact resistance.