Organosilicon-grafted silica nanoparticles for vat photopolymerization: Evolution from organic/inorganic hybrid materials to ceramics
Jun Tan,
Jinchang Zhang,
Hangyu Zhong,
Hongli Hu,
Xiwen Kou,
Bo-xing Zhang
Affiliations
Jun Tan
South China Advanced Institute for Soft Matter Science and Technology, School of Emergent Soft Matter, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
Jinchang Zhang
South China Advanced Institute for Soft Matter Science and Technology, School of Emergent Soft Matter, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
Hangyu Zhong
South China Advanced Institute for Soft Matter Science and Technology, School of Emergent Soft Matter, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
Hongli Hu
South China Advanced Institute for Soft Matter Science and Technology, School of Emergent Soft Matter, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
Xiwen Kou
South China Advanced Institute for Soft Matter Science and Technology, School of Emergent Soft Matter, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
Bo-xing Zhang
South China Advanced Institute for Soft Matter Science and Technology, School of Emergent Soft Matter, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Functional and Intelligent Hybrid Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China; Corresponding author. South China Advanced Institute for Soft Matter Science and Technology, School of Emergent Soft Matter, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China.
Three-dimensional (3D) printing ceramics based on vat photopolymerization (VPP) have attracted increasing interest in recent years because of their intrinsic properties and a wide range of potential applications. To overcome the drawbacks of traditional printing slurries, such as weak interlayer bonding and high viscosity, a series of organosilicon-grafted silica nanoparticles with a core/shell structure were prepared. These grafted nanoparticles possess small size (around 20 nm), good dispersion in photoactive diluents, and excellent photoactivity. Based on them, organic/inorganic hybrid materials with uniform microstructure and excellent mechanical performance (compressive stress 235.4 ± 33.2 MPa) were obtained by the vat photopolymerization technique. Further, oxide ceramics and carbide/oxide ceramic composites (compressive stress around 15 MPa) were prepared by calcination in air and argon, respectively. This study demonstrates the synthesis of organic/inorganic hybrid silica nanoparticles with good photoactivity, and their promising application as 3D-printable raw materials.
