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We report on the preparation and stereolithographic 3D printing of a resin based on the composite between a poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) host matrix and a poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) filler, and the related cumulative volatile organic compounds’ (VOCs) adsorbent properties. The control of all the steps for resin preparation and printing through morphological (SEM), structural (Raman spectroscopy) and functional (I/V measurements) characterizations allowed us to obtain conductive 3D objects of complex and reproducible geometry. These systems can interact with chemical vapors in the long term by providing a consistent and detectable variation of their structural and conductive characteristics. The materials and the manufacture protocol here reported thus propose an innovative and versatile technology for VOCs monitoring systems based on cumulative adsorption effects.

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Three-dimensional (3D) printing technology is one of the additive manufacturing (AM) technologies that brings exciting prospects to the realm of conjugated polymers (CPs) and organic electronics through vastly enhanced design flexibility, structural complexity, and environmental sustainability. However, the use of 3D printing for CPs is still at early stages and remains full of challenges. Therefore, an interesting approach is to produce 3D-printed electrically conductive materials by exploiting the photopolymerization of conjugated monomers directly during the stereolithography process. The idea proposed in this work is to formulate a printable ink containing aniline able to photopolymerize within the insulating printable polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA) polymeric matrix directly during the 3D-printing process. The produced PEGDA-polyaniline (PANI) composites exhibit suitable morphological and structural features, as well as electrical and electrochemical performances potentially useful for various soft electronics applications. As a proof of concept, the 3D printed PEGDA-PANI samples are employed as a soft electrode in an electrocardiogram (ECG) device, and the efficiency is monitored under real-time conditions. The collected data exhibit reproducible ECG patterns, opening the way to 3D printed PEGDA-PANI electrodes for biosignal monitoring applications.

We report here on soft-template electropolymerizations of polypyrrole (Ppy)-based nanocomposites triggered by graphene platelets (GP) from shungite (SH) rocks. A properly designed procedure for an efficient extraction of graphene platelets from SH powders is established to produce remarkable graphene materials in a low oxidation state and with a high electrical conductivity (1490 S cm−1). By using positively and negatively charged templating surfactants the role played by the graphene units on the electropolymerization reactions is pointed out by SEM, EDX, TEM, SAED, XPS and Raman spectroscopy. The morphological/structural characterizations highlight that GP from SH have a surface chemistry suitable for selective and mutual interactions with the growing Ppy chains. CV and galvanostatic charge/discharge measurements evidence that GP improve the transport of both electrons and ions within the bulk material by means of a synergistic action with the polymer phase. This cooperative behavior induces an enhancement of the specific capacitance up to 250 F g−1 at 2 A g−1. The Ppy-GP materials produced following the settled protocols result to be appropriate for fabricating multifunctional charge transport and storage electroactive systems.