It's not just a phase: shaping the future of 3D photoprinted polymers with polymerization-induced phase separation

Abstract

Additive manufacturing is a technology that promises to disrupt the conventional manufacturing industry due to its ability to create complex structures with improved macroscopic control not available with existing techniques like molding or milling. In addition to superior macroscopic structural control, photoprinting methods such as digital light projection can enable molecular-scale control over the fabrication process by taking advantage of the self-sorting or assembly properties of the monomers themselves. Polymerization-induced phase separation (PIPS) allows for the remarkable introduction of microscopic control into additive manufacturing, using polymer-rich and polymer-poor regions that rely on incompatibilities to phase separate during polymerization creating new complex materials not achieved by traditional methods. With the incorporation of porogens or filler materials, microporosity and/or surface functionalization can be introduced in a facile one-step printing process. This expands the potential applications of 3D printed materials, to include micro- and macroscale structural control. Using PIPS as a design strategy, polymeric materials with previously unprecedented capabilities can be produced with ease enabling 3D printing to grow into its full potential as a manufacturing tool. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.