Thermochromic Responses on Melt Electrowritten Poly(ϵ-caprolactone) Microstructures

Abstract

Melt electrowriting produces complex polymeric microstructures by controlling electrified polymer jet deposition. This work explores the potential of designing poly(ϵ-caprolactone) MEW microstructures with thermochromic responses. Samples with up to 4 wt % thermochromic dye content with fibers of 20.7 ± 0.9 μm have been processed without compromising printing quality. This small amount of filler content results in the desired active response of color change at a certain temperature. A multimaterial structure combining two thermochromic dyes with different activation temperatures was also designed. Overall, the ability to include additives in the MEW process without significant disruption expands the technology applicability.