Visible Light Induced High Resolution and Swift 3D Printing System by Halogen Atom Transfer

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Photochemistry

Background:

• 3D printing technology is rapidly advancing, driven by increasing market share and specific industry demands.
• Developing efficient and rapid photoinitiation systems is crucial for enhancing 3D printing capabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel visible light-induced 3D printing system.
• To utilize dimanganese decacarbonyl (Mn2(CO)10) with organic halides as a photoinitiator system.
• To achieve high resolution and short printing times in 3D printing.

Main Methods:

• Investigated the kinetics of polymerization using real-time Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.
• Analyzed the process using photo-differential scanning calorimetry.
• Compared the performance with a commercial photoinitiator (2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl)phosphine oxide).

Main Results:

• The system efficiently generates radicals via halogen abstraction by photochemically generated manganese pentacarbonyl.
• High quantum efficiency was observed in the radical generation process.
• The developed 3D printing system demonstrated high resolution and reduced printing times.

Conclusions:

• The combination of Mn2(CO)10 and organic halides forms a promising photoinitiating system for 3D printing.
• This novel system offers advantages in terms of resolution and speed compared to commercial alternatives.
• The findings suggest broad applicability of this system in various 3D printing fields.