Functionalization of LCD glass for the manufacturing of advanced 3D-printed translucent photocatalytic scaffolds

Abstract

In this paper, we discuss the functionalization of translucent glass scaffolds obtained from LCD glass waste with a photocatalytic coating. Scaffolds were in the form of four-layer lattices and gyroids, depending on the printing technology, such as direct ink writing and masked stereolithography. The printed structures were dip-coated with a sol-gel TiO₂ precursor solution followed by thermal annealing to induce crystallization. Preliminary tests were performed on LCD slides to optimize the process parameters such as withdrawal speed and annealing temperature. The physicochemical properties of the coatings were characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis, UV–VIS spectroscopy, ellipsometry, and SEM. The photocatalytic efficiency was evaluated by monitoring the degradation of methylene blue under UV light. Photodegradation kinetics were studied following a pseudo-first-order reaction. We found that the coated scaffolds show comparable photodegradation rate constant, despite the different topologies.