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Bioderived 4D Printable Terpene Photopolymers from Limonene and β-Myrcene
Eric Constant1, Olivia King2, Andrew C Weems1,2,3
1Biomedical Engineering, Russ College of Engineering, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio 45701, United States.
Biomacromolecules
|May 24, 2022
Summary
Green manufacturing advances with new terpene-derived photopolymers. These novel materials offer tunable properties and shape memory behavior for 3D printing applications, reducing reliance on petrochemicals.
Area of Science:
- Polymer Chemistry
- Materials Science
- Green Manufacturing
Background:
- Growing interest in sustainable manufacturing and reducing petrochemical dependence.
- Need for eco-friendly photopolymers for 3D printing, avoiding toxic solvents.
- Terpenes offer a renewable resource for polymer synthesis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop solvent-free, green photopolymers from limonene and β-myrcene.
- To investigate their suitability for 3D printing via digital light processing (DLP).
- To explore tunable thermomechanical properties and four-dimensional (4D) shape memory behavior.
Main Methods:
- Solvent-free free-radical polymerization of limonene and β-myrcene.
- Homo- and copolymerization to create oligomeric photopolymers.
- Thiol-ene photo-cross-linking for 3D printing in a DLP setup.
Main Results:
- Produced low-viscosity oligomeric photopolymers (M<0xE2><0x82><0x99> < 11 kDa, ~10 Pa·s).
- Achieved tunable thermomechanical properties, with poly(limonene) showing elastic moduli >1 GPa.
- Demonstrated four-dimensional (4D) shape memory behavior and potential for biomedical applications (hydrophilicity, cytocompatibility).
Conclusions:
- Terpene-derived photopolymers offer a sustainable alternative for advanced manufacturing.
- These green photopolymers are suitable for DLP 3D printing with tunable properties.
- Potential applications in manufacturing and biomedical fields due to favorable physical and biological characteristics.
