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Polymers
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Polymer Microfabrication and 3D/4D Printing
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Polymer Microfabrication and 3D/4D Printing

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Processing and Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2026 | Viewed by 5453

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Yi-Je Juang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 717005, Taiwan
Interests: micro/nanofabrication; polymer microembossing; microfluidics; BioMEMS
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Microfluidics has been receiving significant attention thanks to its ability to manipulate the quantity of fluids and particles on a minute level, which renders it highly valuable in the fields of biological and chemical analysis, diagnostics and drug discovery, microscale chemical production and energy systems, combinatorial synthesis and assays, organoids, and environmental sensing. The utilization of polymers as the substrate material has compelling advantages over other materials owing to their versatile properties, such as biocompatibility, surface functionality/modification, mechanical strength, chemical resistance, and low electrical and thermal conductivities. Moreover, the mass production capability of polymeric materials makes it possible to manufacture low-cost products such that they become affordable for one-time use, which is necessary for clinical diagnostics and many biomedical applications. The global market size for microfluidic devices is estimated to be around USD 60 billion by 2030. Moreover, with recent advances in 3D/4D printing, not only has a novel and versatile gadget been added to the toolbox of fabricating microfluidic devices, but a variety of functional structures have also been constructed, such as polymer printed textiles, tissue and scaffolds, self-powered sensors and actuators, smart grippers, etc. Therefore, the aim of this Special Issue is to collect ongoing scientific research on and developments in polymer microfabrication and 3D/4D printing for their potential applications in every field of interest. Research and review articles are both welcome.

Prof. Dr. Yi-Je Juang
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Polymers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • microfabrication
  • 3D/4D printing
  • polymer
  • elastomer
  • micro-embossing
  • micro-injection molding
  • roll-to-roll
  • roll-to-plate
  • mold making
  • numerical simulation
  • manufacturing

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Related Special Issues

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 3153 KB  
Article
Fabrication of a Superhydrophobic Surface via Wet Etching of a Polydimethylsiloxane Micropillar Array
by Wu-Hsuan Pei, Chuan-Chieh Hung and Yi-Je Juang
Polymers 2026, 18(1), 132; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym18010132 - 31 Dec 2025
Viewed by 664
Abstract
Superhydrophobic surfaces have gained considerable attention due to their ability to repel water and reduce surface adhesion, and they are now widely applied for self-cleaning, anti-fouling, anti-icing, and corrosion resistance purposes. In this study, either a computer numerical control (CNC) machine or photolithographic [...] Read more.
Superhydrophobic surfaces have gained considerable attention due to their ability to repel water and reduce surface adhesion, and they are now widely applied for self-cleaning, anti-fouling, anti-icing, and corrosion resistance purposes. In this study, either a computer numerical control (CNC) machine or photolithographic techniques were employed to fabricate molds with microwells, followed by soft lithography to obtain a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) micropillar array. An etching process was then carried out. It was found that, as etching time increased, the diameters of micropillars decreased, leading to a decrease in the solid fraction of the composite surface and increases in contact angles. When the ratios of spacing to diameter (W/D) and of height to diameter (H/D) both exceeded 1.5, the contact angle was found to exceed 150° and the original PDMS micropillar surface with a contact angle of around 135° became superhydrophobic. A drastic decrease in sliding angle was also observed at this threshold. Changes in contact angles with different W/D values were in good agreement with values calculated using the Cassie–Baxter equation, and the droplet state was verified by a pressure balance model. Meanwhile, the PDMS etching rate when using acetone as the solvent was approximately 6–8 times faster than that when using 1-Methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), a result which is comparable to data in the literature. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Microfabrication and 3D/4D Printing)
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23 pages, 5798 KB  
Article
Electric Field-Driven Melt Jetting Polycaprolactone Rotational Printing of Fully Degradable Vascular Stents and Mechanical Characterization
by Yanpu Chao, Fulai Cao, Hao Yi, Shuai Lu, Chengyan Zhang, Hui Cen, Zhongfu Liu, Yihang Yao and Xiaobo Zhao
Polymers 2026, 18(1), 74; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym18010074 - 26 Dec 2025
Viewed by 359
Abstract
Addressing technical challenges in personalized fabrication and mechanical regulation of bioresorbable vascular scaffolds, this study pioneers an electric field-driven melt jetting rotational printing technique to fabricate polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffolds (Ø3–8 mm). Multiscale characterization confirms a rhombic mesh macrostructure with uniform fibers and fusion-enhanced [...] Read more.
Addressing technical challenges in personalized fabrication and mechanical regulation of bioresorbable vascular scaffolds, this study pioneers an electric field-driven melt jetting rotational printing technique to fabricate polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffolds (Ø3–8 mm). Multiscale characterization confirms a rhombic mesh macrostructure with uniform fibers and fusion-enhanced nodal junctions, demonstrating synergistic control of electrohydrodynamic forces and surface tension over microfiber deposition. Mechanical testing reveals triphasic tensile behavior (elastic-plastic-fracture), where 5 mm scaffolds exhibit 38% enhanced peak load due to superior interfacial bonding and densified geometry, while 8 mm counterparts suffer premature failure from structural weakening. Fractography identifies brittle fracture initiation at stress-concentrated nodes versus ductile dominance in straight segments, confirming co-regulation by intrinsic material properties and architecture. Compression tests demonstrate characteristic load-holding-recovery behavior, with 20% increased load-bearing capacity and enhanced elastic recovery in larger scaffolds. This work establishes a structure–property correlation framework for optimizing degradable vascular implants, providing novel methodologies and theoretical foundations for clinical compatibility. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Microfabrication and 3D/4D Printing)
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15 pages, 5378 KB  
Article
Centrifugal Fiber-Spinning Device Using Two Pairs of Counter-Facing Syringes for Fabricating Composite Micro/Nanofibers and Three-Dimensional Cell Culture
by Asuka Shinagawa and Shogo Miyata
Polymers 2026, 18(1), 16; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym18010016 - 21 Dec 2025
Viewed by 447
Abstract
Biomimetic scaffolds are required in tissue engineering to provide structural support as well as promote cell adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation. Fibrous scaffolds composed of micro- and nanofibers replicate the architecture of the native extracellular matrix. Electrospinning is widely used for fabricating nanofibers; however, [...] Read more.
Biomimetic scaffolds are required in tissue engineering to provide structural support as well as promote cell adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation. Fibrous scaffolds composed of micro- and nanofibers replicate the architecture of the native extracellular matrix. Electrospinning is widely used for fabricating nanofibers; however, constructing fibrous scaffolds that integrate multiple fiber scales into a single structure is difficult. We addressed this issue by developing a fiber-spinning device using two pairs of counter-facing syringes that simultaneously produce micro- and nanofibers under different processing conditions. Poly(ε-caprolactone) solutions are ejected through needle-type nozzles via centrifugal force, and fiber diameter is controlled by adjusting the polymer concentration and nozzle diameter. We fabricated scaffolds with the proposed device, which exhibited a random three-dimensional fibrous network in which microfibers and nanofibers were homogeneously integrated. C2C12 myoblasts cultured on the composite scaffolds strongly adhered to the fibrous network, remained viable, and extended along the fibers to form multinucleated cells within the structure. The developed system produced composite micro/nanofiber scaffolds with tunable morphology and biocompatibility, providing a platform for fibrous tissue engineering applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Microfabrication and 3D/4D Printing)
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18 pages, 2191 KB  
Article
Low-Temperature Glass 3D Printing via Two-Photon and Single-Photon Polymerization of Oligo-Silsesquioxanes
by Liyuan Chen, Masaru Mukai, Yuki Hatta, Shoma Miura and Shoji Maruo
Polymers 2025, 17(23), 3204; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17233204 - 1 Dec 2025
Viewed by 2943
Abstract
Recent advances in 3D printing of silica glass have highlighted the limitations of conventional stereolithography (SLA), which requires high-temperature sintering (≈1000 °C) and often uses slurry-based materials. To address these limitations, a sinterless approach using polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS)-based resin has gained attention, [...] Read more.
Recent advances in 3D printing of silica glass have highlighted the limitations of conventional stereolithography (SLA), which requires high-temperature sintering (≈1000 °C) and often uses slurry-based materials. To address these limitations, a sinterless approach using polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS)-based resin has gained attention, as it can form transparent fused silica at only 650 °C. However, previous POSS-based systems suffered from high shrinkage owing to the addition of organic monomers. In this study, a novel low-viscosity polymerizable POSS resin was synthesized without additional monomers, maintaining its sinterless properties while reducing shrinkage. Experimental results showed that our POSS resin has a silica content of 41%, with a shrinkage rate of only 36 ± 1%, which effectively reduced cracking and warping when calcinating large-volume models. It was demonstrated that this resin can be applied not only to high-resolution glass 3D printing with sub-200 nm line widths using two-photon polymerization, but also to low-cost glass 3D printing using single-photon polymerization. The 3D-printed objects can be converted into silica glass structures at significantly lower temperatures than traditional sintering, offering a promising route for efficient and precise glass manufacturing. Potential applications of our POSS resin include the production of multi-scale devices, such as microfluidic devices and optical components, and hybrid processing with semiconductors and MEMS and photonic devices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Microfabrication and 3D/4D Printing)
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Review

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32 pages, 993 KB  
Review
A Comprehensive Review of Polymeric Materials and Additive Manufacturing in Dental Crown Fabrication: State of the Art, Challenges, and Opportunities
by Faisal Khaled Aldawood
Polymers 2026, 18(6), 667; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym18060667 - 10 Mar 2026
Viewed by 429
Abstract
For decades, zirconia- and ceramic-based materials have dominated dental crown fabrication due to their durability and aesthetic appeal. However, a fundamental shift is occurring as polymeric alternatives emerge with notable advantages: better adhesive bonding, versatile aesthetics, lower costs, and a lighter weight. The [...] Read more.
For decades, zirconia- and ceramic-based materials have dominated dental crown fabrication due to their durability and aesthetic appeal. However, a fundamental shift is occurring as polymeric alternatives emerge with notable advantages: better adhesive bonding, versatile aesthetics, lower costs, and a lighter weight. The advances in polymer chemistry and additive manufacturing have significantly impacted prosthodontics, allowing the rapid creation of highly customized, patient-specific restorations with a precision previously impossible (achieved through advanced Computer-Aided Design software and standardized 3D-printing equipment) with traditional methods. This review provides a detailed analysis of 3D-printed polymeric dental crowns from various angles. It explores the materials science behind different polymers, compares manufacturing methods, and evaluates the mechanical performance and biocompatibility. Despite the progress, polymeric materials still fall short of matching the mechanical properties of advanced ceramics, especially in compressive strength and wear resistance. Moreover, there is limited long-term clinical data over five to ten years. The lack of standardized testing protocols complicates cross-study comparisons, and the regulatory pathways for patient-specific 3D-printed devices are still developing, creating uncertainty for manufacturers and clinicians. The future prospective looks promising in many ways such as innovations like four-dimensional printing, where materials respond dynamically to environmental stimuli, which could enable crowns that adapt to changing oral conditions. Nanocomposites with functionalized nanoparticles might enhance mechanical properties while maintaining printability. AI-driven design optimization could automate and improve the crown morphology, occlusal contacts, and fit. Incorporating bioactive materials could turn crowns into active therapeutic devices that promote remineralization and combat bacterial colonization. This review summarizes the current knowledge, highlights the key gaps, and suggests steps toward establishing polymeric 3D-printed crowns as viable long-term alternatives capable of competing with or surpassing traditional ceramic options. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Microfabrication and 3D/4D Printing)
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