Additive Manufacturing of Highly Entangled Polymer Networks

Published

August 1, 2024

Author(s)

Abhishek Dhand, Matthew Davidson, Hannah Zlotnick, Thomas Kolibaba, Jason Killgore, Jason Burdick

Abstract

Incorporation of polymer chain entanglements within a single network can synergistically improve stiffness and toughness, yet attaining such dense entanglements through vat photopolymerization additive manufacturing (e.g., digital light processing, DLP) remains elusive. Here, we report a facile strategy that combines light and dark polymerization to allow constituent polymer chains to densely entangle as they form within 3D printed structures. This generalizable approach is not limited by constraints of extremely low photoinitiator concentration, can occur at room temperature without the need for additional post-processing steps, and allows additive manufacturing of highly entangled hydrogels and elastomers that exhibit 4 to 7-fold higher extension energies in comparison to traditional DLP. Our method can unlock new avenues for manufacturing and biomedicine, including innovative high performance biomedical hydrogels with spatially programmed tissue adhesion.

Citation

Science/AAAS

Volume

385

Issue

6708

Pub Type

Journals

Download Paper

https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adn6925

Local Download

Keywords

hydrogel, additive manufacturing, vat photopolymerization, acrylamide

Citation

Dhand, A. , Davidson, M. , Zlotnick, H. , Kolibaba, T. , Killgore, J. and Burdick, J. (2024), Additive Manufacturing of Highly Entangled Polymer Networks, Science/AAAS, [online], https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adn6925, https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=957549 (Accessed October 27, 2025)