3D Printing of Solvent-Free Supramolecular Polymers

Abstract

Additive manufacturing has significantly changed polymer science and technology by engineering complex material shapes and compositions. With the advent of dynamic properties in polymeric materials as a fundamental principle to achieve, e.g., self-healing properties, the use of supramolecular chemistry as a tool for molecular ordering has become important. By adjusting molecular nanoscopic (supramolecular) bonds in polymers, rheological properties, immanent for 3D printing, can be adjusted, resulting in shape persistence and improved printing. We here review recent progress in the 3D printing of supramolecular polymers, with a focus on fused deposition modelling (FDM) to overcome some of its limitations still being present up to date and open perspectives for their application.

Additive Manufacturing in Atomic Layer Processing Mode

“…However, so far the resolution (the smallest feature size controllable) has been on the order of hundreds of micrometers, although the integration of nanostructures into 3D-printed materials or patterns is possible. [9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18] In other words, 3D printing is several orders of magnitude away from the feature sizes accessible by lithographic methods. In summary, 3D printing has the direct pattern generation capability and materials versatility, whereas Additive manufacturing (3D printing) has not been applicable to micro-and nanoscale engineering due to the limited resolution.…”

3D Printable Composite Polymer Electrolytes: Influence of SiO2 Nanoparticles on 3D-Printability

“…This is defined by the geometry of the printing needle together with the geometry and the temperature of the storage tank and the transfer line between. These rheological borders are well established, and have repeatedly been proven by us [ 20 , 28 , 38 , 41 ].…”

“…The desired composite electrolytes were prepared by mixing of the modified telechelic polymers with lithium salt and nanoparticles and subsequently analyzed via melt rheology for their mechanical properties, in particular in view of their 3D printability. The addition of hydrogen-bonding end groups will strongly modify the thermal profile of the polymeric electrolytes, imposing a nonlinear melt-flow at temperatures, where the H-bonds are broken [ 38 ]. The nanoparticles in turn will also allow for a change of viscosity, so as to achieve both, adjustment of printability and an increased conductivity.…”

Printable Electrolytes: Tuning 3D‐Printing by Multiple Hydrogen Bonds and Added Inorganic Lithium‐Salts

“…When used in 3D printing, the addition of fillers and hydrogen bonds to a thermoplastic polymer often lead to an increase of viscosity, whereas liquid fillers can reduce the viscosity in a polymer melt. [15] Thus, the addition of lithium salts to PEG polymers is a crucial parameter since the incorporation of lithium ion into the crystalline parts of PEG can influence such mixtures in the direction of a more amorphous state. [16] Both, the quadruple hydrogen bonds and the lithium salt concentration in the PEG electrolyte are thus parameters useful for counterbalancing the viscosity of the polymer-melt at different temperatures.…”