4D printing of liquid metal hydrogels for soft bioelectronics

This project will develop next-generation liquid metal–hydrogel materials for 4D printing of soft, responsive, and functional structures. Liquid metals offer unique properties, including high electrical conductivity, deformability, and stimulus responsiveness, while hydrogels provide soft, water-rich, and biologically relevant material environments.

By combining these two material classes, this project aims to create programmable composites that can be printed into structures capable of changing shape, sensing deformation, conducting signals, or responding to external triggers.

You will work at the interface of polymer materials, liquid metal composites, additive manufacturing, and soft device engineering. The project may involve hydrogel formulation, liquid metal integration, rheological and mechanical characterisation, 3D/4D printing, and testing of printed structures for applications in soft robotics, wearable technologies, and biomedical interfaces.

This project is suitable for you if you have interests in materials science, chemical engineering, bioengineering, polymer chemistry, soft robotics, or additive manufacturing.

You will gain interdisciplinary training in advanced materials design, fabrication, characterisation, and device development, while contributing to emerging technologies for intelligent soft systems.

You will join an interdisciplinary research environment at the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland.

The project will be embedded in a collaborative team working across advanced polymer materials, liquid metal composites, 3D/4D printing, soft robotics, and biomedical engineering.

You will have access to state-of-the-art facilities for materials synthesis, hydrogel formulation, additive manufacturing, and materials characterisation. Depending on the project direction, this may include facilities for 3D printing, rheology, mechanical testing, microscopy, spectroscopy, thermal analysis, and soft device fabrication.

The project will also benefit from UQ’s broader research ecosystem, including expertise in nanotechnology, bioengineering, advanced manufacturing, and translational research.

This environment will provide strong interdisciplinary training and opportunities to collaborate with researchers from materials science, chemical engineering, biomedical engineering, and soft robotics.