Biomechanical metamaterials fabricated through multiphoton lithography by tailoring 3D buckling

The advances in laser fabrication technologies have provided the means to create complex structural features in micro- and nanoscale. Hierarchical features, imitating natural materials, can be architected, providing remarkable mechanical performance. In addition, metamaterial structures, ranging from mechanical to bioengineering, with unprecedented properties, can be utilized for engineering applications. In this paper, we summarize conducted work on the laser-aided fabrication of architected structural and biological materials. To effectively design "meta-implants", the design and structural principles encompassing these architected materials must be comprehended and substantiated. To this end, we fabricated by multiphoton lithography 3D mechanical metamaterial structures having as the principal objective to control failure and increase the strain energy capacity of the structure. New design concepts for 3D mechanical metamaterials were also introduced, exhibiting tailored buckling for enhanced strain hardening, high energy absorption and resilience to large deformations. Furthermore, we developed the processes required to create large scale bioscaffolds, that can be utilized in biological science and biomedical engineering for in vitro models.