The Polymer Society of Korea

Abstract

Conventional hypodermic injections often cause pain and anxiety, making them unsuitable for self-administration. Microneedle-based transdermal delivery has emerged as a minimally invasive and patient-friendly alternative. However, the commonly used micromolding method requires long processing times and may compromise drug stability due to repeated centrifugation. Here, we propose a reaction–diffusion-based fabrication strategy using photocurable materials for rapid production of multi-layer microneedles. By controlling the competition between UV-induced polymerization and oxygen diffusion, microneedles can be fabricated in a short time. Also, multi-layer architectures can be achieved through sequential processing. Mechanical and cytotoxicity evaluations confirmed their robustness and biocompatibility, demonstrating potential for reliable transdermal drug delivery.