Construction and manipulation of origami-inspired tubular structures with controlled mechanical buckling for collection and transportation of microspheres based on optically induced electrokinetics

The development of microengineered hydrogels has opened up unlimited possibilities for designing complex structures at the microscale. In this study, we constructed an origami-inspired tubular structure with controlled mechanical buckling based on optically induced electrokinetics (OEK). By inducing a stress gradient in the thickness, a tubular structure can be formed from a poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) hydrogel film of various shapes that have been custom fabricated. To achieve an ideal three-dimensional (3D) structure, the amplitude of the tubular structure can be controlled by adjusting the aspect ratios or polymerization time. Furthermore, the tubular structure can be manipulated for the collection and transportation of microspheres. In summary, we provide an effective method for designing 3D structures at the micro-nano scale. This forming method holds great potential for achieving various functions in tissue engineering, drug packaging, and transportation in the future.