Synergistic single process additive manufacturing of hydro-responsive Ag nanoparticle composites by digital visible light processing 3D printing

Abstract

Single unit process fabrication of a responsive Ag nanoparticle (NP) chemical hydrogel composite is achieved through digital visible light processing (DLP) 3D printing of a self-assembled nanostructured (multilamellar) resin doped with Ag(I). The In situ production of plasmonic Ag NPs synergistically enhances structural fidelity (resolution) of the 3D builds, acting as optical absorbers to control depth of light penetration. The storage modulus (stiffness) of the Ag NP hydrogel increases up to a factor of 3 compared to the hydrogel alone. The multiscale architected composite contains nanoscale features that augment the DLP generated geometry and microscale features and displays reversible changes in the collective Ag NP plasmon resonance. This work lays the foundation for the realization of multi-scale, multi-constituent, multi-functional materials through additive manufacturing.