From pixels to pores: 3D-(im)printed hierarchically porous polymer monoliths

Area of Science:

• Polymer Science
• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Bridging molecular recognition with scalable materials is a key challenge in polymer science.
• Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) offer selective binding but often lack scalable and tunable structures.
• 3D printing provides a platform for creating complex polymer architectures with controlled properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)-based 3D-printed molecularly imprinted polymers (3DMIPs) with programmable macrogeometries and tunable hierarchical porosity.
• To demonstrate the optimization potential of 3DMIPs for specific molecular enrichment using cannabidiol (CBD) as a case study.
• To investigate the relationship between pore architecture, macrogeometry, and binding efficiency.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing LCD-based 3D printing to fabricate 3DMIPs with defined macrogeometries and hierarchical porosity.
• Employing imaging techniques (e.g., SEM) and porosimetry to analyze pore architecture, interconnectivity, and size distribution.
• Quantifying molecular enrichment, imprinting factor, and uptake capacity for CBD.

Main Results:

• A highly porous 3DMIP lattice achieved a 10.3-fold CBD enrichment, an imprinting factor of 3.7, and a CBD uptake of 1.65 mg/g.
• The pore architecture and macrogeometry were found to critically influence mass transfer and binding efficiency.
• The 3DMIPs demonstrated excellent thermal stability, indicating suitability for practical applications.

Conclusions:

• LCD-based 3DMIPs offer a scalable and design-flexible approach to creating functional materials for molecular recognition.
• The tunable hierarchical porosity and programmable macrogeometry are crucial for optimizing binding efficiency and mass transfer.
• 3DMIPs show significant promise for applications like purifying health-promoting compounds from complex matrices.