Imagine printing anything from electronic devices to artificial bones using the same 3D printer. Now, scientists have developed a universal approach for printing materials with easy-to-modify surfaces to eliminate the need for multiple 3D printers.
3D printing is a potentially powerful manufacturing tool. However, numerous printing technologies have had to be developed as several 3D printers with single-purpose inks are often needed for different uses, increasing fabrication costs. Finding one all-purpose ink or 3D printing process has proven elusive and nearly impossible, until now.
Xiaolong Wang at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Lanzhou and co-workers in Jun Yang’s group at the University of Western Ontario in Canada have developed a versatile 3D printing technique where a bromine-containing acrylate is added to a 3D printing resin. The acrylate acts as an initiator to allow polymer brushes to grow on the printed surface.
A 3D printed cubic lattice repels a water droplet (left) while a hollow sieve ball traps water without leaks (right)
Read the full article in Chemistry World»
Read the original journal article in ChemComm:
i3DP, a robust 3D printing approach enabling genetic post-printing surface modification
Xiaolong Wang, Xiaobing Cai, Qiuquan Guo, Tengyuan Zhang, Brad Kobe and Jun Yang
Chem. Commun., 2013, Advance Article, DOI: 10.1039/C3CC45817B
