Additively manufactured multi-material piezopolymer structures for actuation and sensing

Additive manufacturing of piezoelectric devices is typically multi-step, limiting scalability and design freedom. This paper introduces a one-step multi-material-extrusion (MMEX) route that co-prints PVDF, a structural substrate, and silver-nanoparticle electrodes, followed by contact poling. Process–structure links are established by correlating MMEX parameters with electroactive (β+γ) phase fractions measured by FT-IR. Dynamic cantilever tests demonstrate bidirectional functionality: the same printed configuration acts as both actuator and sensor. A coupled electromechanical Finite Element model, calibrated against experiments, yields transferable effective d 31 values and design rules for 4D-printed architected metamaterials and devices enabling rapid customization of geometry and performance tailored for applications.