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3D Printing and In Situ Surface Modification via Type I Photoinitiated Reversible Addition-Fragmentation Chain Transfer Polymerization
Published on: February 18, 2022
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Color and fluorescence switchable 2D and 3D printed hybrid materials
Matthias Steurer1,2,3, Xingyu Wu1,2,3, Agnes C Morrissey3
1Institute of Nanotechnology (INT), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Kaiserstraße 12, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany. xingyu.wu@kit.edu.
Materials Horizons
|July 28, 2025
Summary
We developed a novel 3D printing ink using inorganic-organic hybrid nanoparticles (IOH-NPs) for creating switchable color and fluorescence 3D objects. This advancement overcomes nanoparticle aggregation and degradation issues, enabling functional optical devices.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Additive Manufacturing
Background:
- Nanoparticle (NP) aggregation in photoresins causes light scattering, hindering 3D printing.
- NP degradation during printing leads to loss of optical properties and poor functionality.
- Existing methods struggle to incorporate stable, functional NPs into 3D printed structures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a stable ink system for light-driven 3D printing of color- and fluorescence-switchable objects.
- To overcome challenges of NP aggregation and degradation in 3D printing resins.
- To enable fabrication of multi-material 3D objects with tunable optical properties.
Main Methods:
- Formulation of an ink system with electrostatically stabilized inorganic-organic hybrid nanoparticles (IOH-NPs), a crosslinking monomer, and a photoinitiator.
- Light-driven 3D printing of IOH-NP-loaded soft-matter networks.
- Characterization using imaging, spectroscopic, and spectrometric techniques.
- Demonstration of multi-material printing with switchable and non-switchable elements.
Main Results:
- Successful incorporation of IOH-NPs into a 3D printed soft-matter network without aggregation or degradation.
- Achieved fast, repeatable, pH-dependent color and fluorescence switching over a wide pH range.
- Fabricated multi-material 3D objects combining switchable and non-switchable components.
Conclusions:
- The developed IOH-NP ink system enables robust 3D printing of functional optical materials.
- The printed objects exhibit tunable optical properties with repeatable switching behavior.
- This technology holds significant promise for advanced applications in sensors and optical devices.
