3D printing of inherently nanoporous polymers via polymerization-induced phase separation.

ABSTRACT: 3D printing offers enormous flexibility in fabrication of polymer objects with complex geometries. However, it is not suitable for fabricating large polymer structures with geometrical features at the sub-micrometer scale. Porous structure at the sub-micrometer scale can render macroscopic objects with unique properties, including similarities with biological interfaces, permeability and extremely large surface area, imperative inter alia for adsorption, separation, sensing or biomedical applications. Here, we introduce a method combining advantages of 3D printing via digital light processing and polymerization-induced phase separation, which enables formation of 3D polymer structures of digitally defined macroscopic geometry with controllable inherent porosity at the sub-micrometer scale.

SUBMITTER: Dong Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7801408 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature