IKBFU Scientists Develop a Mechanism for Creating Smart Materials for Medicine

Researchers from the REC Smart Materials and Biomedical Applications at Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University have discovered how to create a 3D-printable material that is both piezoelectric (i.e., generates an electric impulse when deformed) and responsive to magnetic fields. The material is a composite based on PVDF fluoropolymer and CoFe₂O₄ nanoparticles with magnetic properties. The findings were published in the Journal of Composite Materials.

The team analyzed how to synthesize the material starting from the precursor to producing a filament for 3D printing—without losing its functional properties at any stage of the technological process. This included nanoparticle synthesis, mixing and composite preparation, extrusion, and subsequent 3D printing. The researchers determined an optimal formulation that enhances the material’s sensitivity to external magnetic fields. In addition, they identified parameters that simplify the 3D-printing process and reduce energy consumption.

This discovery is crucial for developing new “smart” materials that can be used in sensors and medical devices. For instance, such composites could be used to 3D-print specialized scaffolds—“structural frameworks” for cells—that make it possible to control the growth and differentiation of stem cells.

Petr Ershov, Research Associate at the REC Smart Materials and Biomedical Applications and one of the paper’s co-authors, explained:

This was a complex and labor-intensive study, and its successful completion became possible only thanks to collaboration with our colleagues from Kabardino-Balkarian and Perm State Technical Universities, as well as from NUST MISIS. We had to meticulously examine the properties of the new composite at every technological stage, which helped us determine the most optimal parameters for material synthesis. We realized that selecting the right base polymer is key to ensuring that the printed object is not only durable but also functional. This study marks an important step in the development of new magnetoelectric composites that can be used to fabricate innovative biomedical and electronic devices via 3D printing.

Magnetoelectric composites combine magnetic and (piezo/ferroelectric) components and can convert magnetic influence into an electrical signal. This makes them promising for use in sensors, actuators, and smart wearable devices. However, practical applications require a balance between strong functional properties (a high magnetoelectric response) and manufacturability: the material must remain easily printable using conventional FDM 3D printers.