Utilization of Ethyl Cellulose in the Osmotically-Driven and Anisotropically-Actuated 4D Printing Concept of Edible Food Composites

• Published in: Carbohydrate Polymer Technologies and Applications
• Main Authors: Ezgi Pulatsu, Jheng-Wun Su, Jian Lin, Mengshi Lin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2022-06-01
• Subjects: Anisotropy; Colloid; Extrusion-based 3D printing; Gelatin
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666893922000019

This study aimed to use ethyl cellulose (EC) as a shape-constraining and color-transforming material in four-dimensional printing (4DP) as exposed to external stimuli. Edible composites containing EC and gelatin were formed and submerged into water, resulting in osmotically-driven structural changes of the composites. The rheological properties, printing patterns, and the effects of constraint sites (EC) on shape-morphing behaviors of composites were investigated. The composites' aspect ratio, film thickness, and swelling properties were quantified to investigate their shape-morphing properties. The results demonstrate that the printing patterns affected the symmetric/asymmetric deformation of the composites. Photomicrographs indicate that the color of EC strips turned from transparent to white due to self-assembly, which is related to the curing time. The swelling index and capacity values ranged between 127.55 - 471.43% and 219.58 - 700%. This study provides insight into the mechanism of 4DP using edible materials to fabricate complex food structures with tunable properties.