Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 5, 2025
3D Printing and In Situ Surface Modification via Type I Photoinitiated Reversible Addition-Fragmentation Chain Transfer Polymerization
Published on: February 18, 2022
Tuning the Mechanical Properties of 3D-printed Objects by the RAFT Process: From Chain-Growth to Step-Growth
Xiaofeng Pan1, Jiajia Li1, Zhuang Li1
1State and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Novel Functional Polymeric Materials, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Functional Polymer Design and Application, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China.
Abstract:
Photoinduced 3D printing based on the reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) process has emerged as a robust method for creating diverse functional materials. However, achieving precise control over the mechanical properties of these printed objects remains a critical challenge for practical application. Here, we demonstrated a RAFT step-growth polymerization of a bifunctional xanthate and bifunctional vinyl acetate. Additionally, we demonstrated photoinduced 3D printing through RAFT step-growth polymerization with a tetrafunctional xanthate and a bifunctional vinyl acetate. By adjusting the molar ratio of the components in the printing resins, we finely tuned the polymerization mechanism from step-growth to chain-growth. This adjustment resulted in a remarkable range of tunable Young's moduli, ranging from 7.6 MPa to 997.1 MPa. Moreover, post-functionalization and polymer welding of the printed objects with varying mechanical properties opens up a promising way to produce tailor-made materials with specific and tunable properties.
