Additive manufacturing processes such as 3D printing use time-consuming, stepwise layer-by-layer approaches to object fabrication. We demonstrate the continuous generation of monolithic polymeric parts up to tens of centimeters in size with feature resolution below 100 micrometers. Continuous liquid interface production is achieved with an oxygen-permeable window below the ultraviolet image projection plane, which creates a "dead zone" (persistent liquid interface) where photopolymerization is inhibited between the window and the polymerizing part. We delineate critical control parameters and show that complex solid parts can be drawn out of the resin at rates of hundreds of millimeters per hour. These print speeds allow parts to be produced in minutes instead of hours.

Despite the increasing popularity of 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing (AM), the technique has not developed beyond the realm of rapid prototyping. This confinement of the field can be attributed to the inherent flaws of layer-by-layer printing and, in particular, anisotropic mechanical properties that depend on print direction, visible by the staircasing surface finish effect. Continuous liquid interface production (CLIP) is an alternative approach to AM that capitalizes on the fundamental principle of oxygen-inhibited photopolymerization to generate a continual liquid interface of uncured resin between the growing part and the exposure window. This interface eliminates the necessity of an iterative layer-by-layer process, allowing for continuous production. Herein we report the advantages of continuous production, specifically the fabrication of layerless parts. These advantages enable the fabrication of large overhangs without the use of supports, reduction of the staircasing effect without compromising fabrication time, and isotropic mechanical properties. Combined, these advantages result in multiple indicators of layerless and monolithic fabrication using CLIP technology.stereolithogaphy | continuous liquid interface production | 3D printing | additive manufacturing | isotropic properties Additive manufacturing (AM), or 3D printing, is a growing field that employs the selective layering of material to build a part, which has distinct advantages compared with subtractive manufacturing (1). The benefits of additive over subtractive manufacturing are numerous and include unlimited design space, freedom of complex geometries, and reduction of waste by-products (2). Significant advancements were made to AM in the 1980s with the development of the stereolithography (SL) apparatus, a platform that uses the exposure of a rastering UV laser to selectively solidify a resin through a photopolymerization process in a top-down manner (3). The method has since been modified to solidify in a bottom-up process through the use of a digital light projection (DLP) chip that eliminates the rastering laser. The process of bottomup SL begins with a computer-aided design (CAD) file that is then converted into a series of 2D renderings using a method called "slicing" (Fig. 1A). The original object is then reconstructed in a layer-by-layer manner by reproducing these 2D renderings, one slice at a time. This process is done iteratively whereby a photoactive resin is selectively exposed to UV light through a transparent substrate, allowing for selective photopolymerization corresponding to a specific slice shape (4). Once the slice has been exposed, a series of mechanical steps of separation, recoating, and repositioning follow (Fig. 1B) to allow for subsequent exposure.The polymeric materials used in the SL process are known to have intrinsic properties that are a function of the chemical structure, molecular weight, and topology (3). Printed part properties differ from intrinsic polymeric properties because they a...

Mass customization along with the ability to generate designs using medical imaging data makes 3D printing an attractive method for the fabrication of patient-tailored drug and medical devices. Herein we describe the application of Continuous Liquid Interface Production (CLIP) as a method to fabricate biocompatible and drug-loaded devices with controlled release properties, using liquid resins containing active pharmaceutical ingredients (API). In this work, we characterize how the release kinetics of a model small molecule, rhodamine B-base (RhB), are affected by device geometry, network crosslink density, and the polymer composition of polycaprolactone- and poly (ethylene glycol)-based networks. To demonstrate the applicability of using API-loaded liquid resins with CLIP, the UV stability was evaluated for a panel of clinically-relevant small molecule drugs. Finally, select formulations were tested for biocompatibility, degradation and encapsulation of docetaxel (DTXL) and dexamethasone-acetate (DexAc). Formulations were shown to be biocompatible over the course of 175 days of in vitro degradation and the clinically-relevant drugs could be encapsulated and released in a controlled fashion. This study reveals the potential of the CLIP manufacturing platform to serve as a method for the fabrication of patient-specific medical and drug-delivery devices for personalized medicine.

We prepared nonflammable liquid polymer electrolytes for lithium-ion batteries by mixing ethoxylated perfluoropolyethers (PFPEs) with LiN(SO 2 CF 3) 2 salt. Interestingly, we identified the presence of chain coupling in the PFPE polymers and their functionalized derivatives, resulting in a mixture of PFPEs with varying molecular weights. The distribution of molecular weights, along with PFPE's multiple functionalities, allows systematic manipulation of structure to enhance electrochemical and physical properties. Furthermore, the electrolytes exhibited a wide thermal stability window (5% degradation temperature > 180°C). Despite substantial increases in viscosity upon loading the PFPEs with lithium salt, the conductivity (σ≈5x10-5 S cm-1 at 28°C) of the novel electrolytes was about an order of magnitude higher than that of our previously reported PFPE electrolytes. Ethoxylated derivatives of PFPE electrolytes exhibit elevated conductivity compared to non-ethoxylated derivatives, demonstrating our capability to enhance the conductive properties of the PFPE platform by attaching various functional groups to the polymer backbone.

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