Vat Photopolymerization 3D Printing of Conductive Nanocomposites

Abstract

Recent years have witnessed a surge in efforts to integrate electrically conductive nanomaterials into photopolymer-based additive manufacturing (AM), driven by the growing demand for multifunctional 3D-printing. While several AM techniques have been adapted to process conductive composites, Digital Light Processing (DLP) stands out for its high-resolution and fast-curing capabilities. However, it poses a central limitation: the requirement for optical transparency in the printing resin, which is compromised by the incorporation of conventional conductive fillers. This Account highlights the advances in overcoming three fundamental challenges in the field: (i) How can conductive nanocomposites be printed by DLP without compromising resolution? (ii) How can high electrical conductivity be achieved at low filler content? (iii) What is the origin of anisotropic conductivity in printed objects, and how can it be mitigated?