Novel 3D-printable material mimics complex cartilage structures

A team of scientists from University of Colorado Denver (CO, USA) has developed a 3D-printable material capable of mimicking bone and cartilage. Scientists from University of Colorado Denver (CO, USA) have developed a novel material - liquid crystal elastomers - that can be used to 3D print complex and porous lattices, mimicking cartilage and other biological tissues. Described in Advanced Materials, the team utilized liquid crystal elastomers – soft, elastic, multifunctional materials known for their ability to dissipate high levels of energy. Difficult to manipulate, previous work with liquid crystal elastomers has produced large objects with minimal levels of detail,...