Magnetically responsive microprintable soft nanocomposites with tunable nanoparticle loading

Magnetic remote actuation of soft materials has been demonstrated at the macroscale using hard-magnetic particles for applications such as transforming materials and medical robots. However, due to manufacturing limitations, few microscale magnetically responsive devices exist -- light-based additive manufacturing methods, which are ideal for realizing microscale features, struggle with light scattering induced by the magnetic particles. Moreover, large hard-magnetic microparticles prevent high-resolution features from being manufactured altogether, and soft-magnetic nanoparticles require impractically high loading and high magnetic gradients, incompatible with existing printing techniques. Among successfully fabricated microscale soft-magnetic composites, limited control over magnetic-particle loading, distribution, and matrix-phase stiffness has hindered their functionality. Here, we combine two-photon lithography with iron-oxide nanoparticle co-precipitation to fabricate 3D-printed microscale nanocomposites having features down to 8 um with spatially tunable nanoparticle distribution. Using uniaxial compression experiments and vibrating sample magnetometry, we characterize the mechanical and magnetic properties of the composite, achieving millimeter-scale elastic deformations. We control nanoparticle content by modulating laser power of the print to imbue complex parts with magnetic functionality, demonstrated by a soft robotic gripper and a bistable bit register and sensor. This approach enables precise control of structure and functionality, advancing the development of microscale metamaterials and robots with tunable mechanical and magnetic properties.