Research Article
Research Status of Material Design for Intelligent Structures in 4D Printing
@INPROCEEDINGS{10.4108/eai.24-4-2026.2364912, author={Zhe Li}, title={Research Status of Material Design for Intelligent Structures in 4D Printing}, proceedings={Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Mechanics, Electronics Engineering and Automation, ICMEEA 2026, April 24-26, 2026, Singapore, Singapore}, publisher={EAI}, proceedings_a={ICMEEA}, year={2026}, month={9}, keywords={4D printing Smart structures Smart materials Artificial Intelligence}, doi={10.4108/eai.24-4-2026.2364912} }- Zhe Li
Year: 2026
Research Status of Material Design for Intelligent Structures in 4D Printing
ICMEEA
EAI
DOI: 10.4108/eai.24-4-2026.2364912
Abstract
Four-dimensional printing extends additive manufacturing by producing structures that transform over time in response to external stimuli. This review summarizes recent progress in smart materials for 4D printing, focusing on shape memory polymers, hydrogels, liquid crystal elastomers, and magneto-/electro-responsive composites. We compare their response mechanisms, reversibility, actuation speed, and printability, and discuss advances in artificial intelligence -assisted design and multiphysics simulation for structural optimization. Challenges such as energy coupling, interfacial durability, and scalability are identified. We conclude that sustainable material development, cross-scale modeling, and integrated closed-loop control are key to advancing 4D printing toward engineering applications.