A General Strategy for Sustainable 3D Printing Based on A Multifunctional Photoinitiator

Dajun Xiong; Pengfei Ruan; Zongan Li; Wenbin Yi; Jieping Wang

doi:10.1002/anie.202406047

A General Strategy for Sustainable 3D Printing Based on A Multifunctional Photoinitiator

Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2024 May 13:e202406047. doi: 10.1002/anie.202406047. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Dajun Xiong¹, Pengfei Ruan¹, Zongan Li², Wenbin Yi¹, Jieping Wang³

Affiliations

¹ Nanjing University of Science and Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, CHINA.
² Nanjing Normal University, School of Electrical and Automation Engineering, CHINA.
³ Nanjing University of Science and Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, 200 Xiaolingwei, 210094, Nanjing, CHINA.

PMID: 38739107
DOI: 10.1002/anie.202406047

Abstract

A multifunctional photoinitiator is presented, offering precise control over light-induced polymerization initiation at 450 nm and material degradation at 365 nm. This is accomplished by covalently linking photoactive bis(acyl)phosphane oxide and photocleavable o-nitrobenzyl ether moieties onto the surface of γ-cyclodextrin. Upon degradation, the resulting linear polymers can be easily re-dissolved in their corresponding monomer and re-cured, exhibiting superior mechanical properties compared to the pristine material. Moreover, this photoinitiator enables the successful 3D printing of intricate and precise structures, representing a promising general strategy for developing recyclable photoresins for 3D printing applications.

Keywords: 3D printing; Photodegradation; photoinitiators; recycling; thermosets.