In this section
@article{Mcmeeking:2026:10.1016/j.matdes.2026.117167,
author = {Mcmeeking, A and Ignuta-Ciuncanu, MC and Stevens, M and Zhang, X and Hamlet, G and Ellis, T and Martinez-Botas, RF and Dieckmann, E},
doi = {10.1016/j.matdes.2026.117167},
journal = {Materials & Design},
title = {Directed growth of bacterial nanocellulose in constructal scaffolds},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.matdes.2026.117167},
year = {2026}
}
TY - JOUR
AB - Bacterial nanocellulose is a strong, highly crystalline and biodegradable biopolymer, but its use has stayed largely confined to flat sheets. Its potential as a three-dimensional design material remains untested. This research investigates how the geometry of a solid scaffold directs where the material forms. Within a material-driven design framework, we combined hands-on exploration with parametrically defined channels, bio-inspired flow architectures and porous gyroid lattices. We followed growth in situ by time-lapse imaging under static batch feeding. Scaffold geometry influenced deposition through capillary transport at the air-liquid interface. Below a critical channel width of about 1 to 1.3 mm, capillary rise lifted and destabilised the interface, producing uneven, vertically inclined pellicles and trapped fluid pockets. Highly permeable architectures suppressed capillary rise, held the interface flat and gave uniform colonisation. Scaffolds of 10% solidity reached a mean cellulose area fraction of 65 ± 3.7%, compared with 7.0 ± 1.6% at 40% solidity. Geometry is therefore an active design parameter that determines where cellulose grows, and it offers a route to programming grown composites through physical boundary conditions rather than through post-growth assembly.
AU - Mcmeeking,A
AU - Ignuta-Ciuncanu,MC
AU - Stevens,M
AU - Zhang,X
AU - Hamlet,G
AU - Ellis,T
AU - Martinez-Botas,RF
AU - Dieckmann,E
DO - 10.1016/j.matdes.2026.117167
PY - 2026///
SN - 0264-1275
TI - Directed growth of bacterial nanocellulose in constructal scaffolds
T2 - Materials & Design
UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.matdes.2026.117167
UR - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matdes.2026.117167
ER -