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Download filePhotopolymerization of Zeolite/Polymer-Based Composites: toward 3D and 4D Printing Applications
journal contribution
posted on 2020-12-11, 22:29 authored by Yijun Zhang, Ludovic Josien, Jean-Pierre Salomon, Angélique Simon-Masseron, Jacques LalevéeIn
recent years, photopolymerization has found wide applications
in industry and daily life, especially 3D printing. However, some
defective properties of photopolymers limit their development, such
as their mechanical properties, density, compressive strength, and
functionality. Herein, in this work, we reported the fabrication of
composites containing seven different kinds of zeolites used as fillers
under mild photopolymerization conditions (LTA-5A was selected as
the benchmark zeolite), that is, visible LED light irradiation at
room temperature under air. The filler properties affecting the related
depth of cure and the enhanced mechanical (the storage modulus increased
by 10-fold compared to that of a pure polymer) and functional properties
were examined in detail. In addition, the production of 3D patterns
was performed through direct laser writing (DLW) as a lithography
technique. As a real breakthrough, the 3D printing of zeolite/polymer
composites is presented here for the first time with high filler contents
(up to 75 wt %) using this stereolithography approach. 4D behavior
can be established in the presence of water, that is, the 3D object
can change the shape and return to the starting geometry after desiccation.
Remarkably, after debinding of the composites by thermal treatment,
a high zeolite porosity can be regenerated. Therefore, the 3D printing
of zeolites is possible in two steps: (i) photopolymerization of organic/zeolite
composites to generate the desired shape, followed by (ii) removal
of the organic part by thermal treatment. This work is expected to lead to
valuable developments in the field of photopolymerization reactions
in highly filled composites (with the filler content exceeding 50
wt %) and thereby expand their potential application for 3D or 4D
printing in the fields of, for example, high-performance light-weight
materials and adsorption.