Fabrication of 3D conjugated polymer structures via vat polymerization additive manufacturing

Abstract

Conjugated polymers are a class of electromechanically active materials that can produce motion in response to an electric potential. This motion can be harnessed to perform mechanical work, and therefore these materials are particularly well suited for use as sensors and actuators in microelectromechanical systems. Conventional methods to fabricate conjugated polymer actuators result in planar morphologies that limit fabricated devices to simplistic linear or bending actuation modes. To overcome this limitation, this work develops a conjugated polymer formulation and associated additive manufacturing method capable of realizing three-dimensional conductive polymer structures. A light-based additive manufacturing technique known as vat polymerization is employed due to its ability to fabricate complex microscale features. A specially-formulated photosensitive polypyrrole resin was optimized for the production of microscale 3D structures. The transduction properties of the photosensitive polymer formulation were characterized to evaluate the material's application in mechanical sensing and actuation technologies.

3D printing of conjugated polymers

“…A recent publication has described 3D printed CP systems which displays such behavior. 26 We focus on conducting polymers instead of semiconducting polymers in this review as they are the subject of virtually all existing reports on 3D printing of CPs, principally due to their ease of synthesis and potential for practical applications in the near term.…”

“…This can be exploited to create a number of useful devices such as actuators, sensors, or the direct harvesting of mechanical energy through this behavior. A recent publication has described 3D printed CP systems which displays such behavior …”

“…Recently, the first report of the synthesis of a CP concurrently with the generation of a support structure was published. The work was carried out under the direction of Aaron D. Price at Western University in Ontario . The authors describe the development of a divergent catalytic system originating from a single photoinitiator.…”

“…The work was carried out under the direction of Aaron D. Price at Western University in Ontario. 67,68 The authors describe the development of a divergent catalytic system originating from a single photoinitiator. Photopolymerization of pyrrole within films had been described in the literature but was never incorporated into an AM system.…”

Additive Manufacturable Materials for Electrochemical Biosensor Electrodes

“…For example, PPy AM electrodes have been fabricated for nonamperometric systems, including both wearable and nonwearable supercapacitors. [142][143][144] Ultimately, AM offers microscale printing of conductive polymers in a programmable and facile manner in 3D space. [20]…”