Liquid Crystal-Mediated 3D Printing Process to Fabricate Nano-Ordered Layered Structures

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Additive Manufacturing

Background:

• Three-dimensional (3D) printing excels at macro- and microscale fabrication but struggles with nanoscale spatial ordering.
• Multifunctional devices require precise nanoscale arrangement of building blocks, a limitation in current 3D printing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To bridge the nano- and microscales in 3D printing using liquid crystal (LC) inks.
• To achieve controlled nanoscale architectural design within 3D-printed constructs.
• To develop high-performance functional devices leveraging nanoscale ordering.

Main Methods:

• Preparation of LC inks from nanocellulose whiskers and graphene oxide sheets.
• Single-step 3D printing utilizing the developed LC inks.
• Fabrication of a humidity sensor based on self-assembled nanocellulose whisker lamellar structures.

Main Results:

• LC inks enabled highly ordered laminar organization, bridging nano- and microscales in 3D printing.
• 3D-printed constructs exhibited nanoscale patterns and architecturally layered systems.
• The nanocellulose whisker-based humidity sensor showed improved performance due to facile mass transport facilitated by parallel lamellar organization.

Conclusions:

• Liquid crystal ink-mediated 3D printing offers design freedom for macroscopic architectures with precise nanoscopic arrangements.
• This approach unlocks the potential of constituent materials for advanced device fabrication.
• The study demonstrates a viable pathway for creating high-performance sensors and other smart structures.