IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v15y2024i1d10.1038_s41467-024-48121-7.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Sustainable 3D printing by reversible salting-out effects with aqueous salt solutions

Author

Listed:
  • Donghwan Ji

    (University of California San Diego)

  • Joseph Liu

    (University of California San Diego)

  • Jiayu Zhao

    (University of California San Diego)

  • Minghao Li

    (University of California San Diego)

  • Yumi Rho

    (University of California San Diego
    University of California San Diego)

  • Hwansoo Shin

    (Hanyang University)

  • Tae Hee Han

    (Hanyang University)

  • Jinhye Bae

    (University of California San Diego
    University of California San Diego
    University of California San Diego)

Abstract

Achieving a simple yet sustainable printing technique with minimal instruments and energy remains challenging. Here, a facile and sustainable 3D printing technique is developed by utilizing a reversible salting-out effect. The salting-out effect induced by aqueous salt solutions lowers the phase transition temperature of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) solutions to below 10 °C. It enables the spontaneous and instant formation of physical crosslinks within PNIPAM chains at room temperature, thus allowing the PNIPAM solution to solidify upon contact with a salt solution. The PNIPAM solutions are extrudable through needles and can immediately solidify by salt ions, preserving printed structures, without rheological modifiers, chemical crosslinkers, and additional post-processing steps/equipment. The reversible physical crosslinking and de-crosslinking of the polymer through the salting-out effect demonstrate the recyclability of the polymeric ink. This printing approach extends to various PNIPAM-based composite solutions incorporating functional materials or other polymers, which offers great potential for developing water-soluble disposable electronic circuits, carriers for delivering small materials, and smart actuators.

Suggested Citation

  • Donghwan Ji & Joseph Liu & Jiayu Zhao & Minghao Li & Yumi Rho & Hwansoo Shin & Tae Hee Han & Jinhye Bae, 2024. "Sustainable 3D printing by reversible salting-out effects with aqueous salt solutions," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-12, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:15:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-024-48121-7
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48121-7
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-48121-7
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-024-48121-7?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Mutian Hua & Shuwang Wu & Yanfei Ma & Yusen Zhao & Zilin Chen & Imri Frenkel & Joseph Strzalka & Hua Zhou & Xinyuan Zhu & Ximin He, 2021. "Strong tough hydrogels via the synergy of freeze-casting and salting out," Nature, Nature, vol. 590(7847), pages 594-599, February.
    2. Gregory M. Gratson & Mingjie Xu & Jennifer A. Lewis, 2004. "Direct writing of three-dimensional webs," Nature, Nature, vol. 428(6981), pages 386-386, March.
    3. Wonsik Eom & Hwansoo Shin & Rohan B. Ambade & Sang Hoon Lee & Ki Hyun Lee & Dong Jun Kang & Tae Hee Han, 2020. "Large-scale wet-spinning of highly electroconductive MXene fibers," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 11(1), pages 1-7, December.
    4. Donghwan Ji & Jae Min Park & Myeong Seon Oh & Thanh Loc Nguyen & Hyunsu Shin & Jae Seong Kim & Dukjoon Kim & Ho Seok Park & Jaeyun Kim, 2022. "Superstrong, superstiff, and conductive alginate hydrogels," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-10, December.
    5. Min Kyoon Shin & Bommy Lee & Shi Hyeong Kim & Jae Ah Lee & Geoffrey M. Spinks & Sanjeev Gambhir & Gordon G. Wallace & Mikhail E. Kozlov & Ray H. Baughman & Seon Jeong Kim, 2012. "Synergistic toughening of composite fibres by self-alignment of reduced graphene oxide and carbon nanotubes," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 3(1), pages 1-8, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Xiansheng Zhang & Hongwei Yan & Chongzhi Xu & Xia Dong & Yu Wang & Aiping Fu & Hao Li & Jin Yong Lee & Sheng Zhang & Jiahua Ni & Min Gao & Jing Wang & Jinpeng Yu & Shuzhi Sam Ge & Ming Liang Jin & Lil, 2023. "Skin-like cryogel electronics from suppressed-freezing tuned polymer amorphization," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-10, December.
    2. Ruixin Zhu & Dandan Zhu & Zhen Zheng & Xinling Wang, 2024. "Tough double network hydrogels with rapid self-reinforcement and low hysteresis based on highly entangled networks," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-11, December.
    3. Won Bae Han & Gwan-Jin Ko & Kang-Gon Lee & Donghak Kim & Joong Hoon Lee & Seung Min Yang & Dong-Je Kim & Jeong-Woong Shin & Tae-Min Jang & Sungkeun Han & Honglei Zhou & Heeseok Kang & Jun Hyeon Lim & , 2023. "Ultra-stretchable and biodegradable elastomers for soft, transient electronics," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-12, December.
    4. Limei Huang & Hao Li & Shunxi Wen & Penghui Xia & Fanzhan Zeng & Chaoyi Peng & Jun Yang & Yun Tan & Ji Liu & Lei Jiang & Jianfeng Wang, 2024. "Control nucleation for strong and tough crystalline hydrogels with high water content," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-13, December.
    5. Bin Xue & Zoobia Bashir & Yachong Guo & Wenting Yu & Wenxu Sun & Yiran Li & Yiyang Zhang & Meng Qin & Wei Wang & Yi Cao, 2023. "Strong, tough, rapid-recovery, and fatigue-resistant hydrogels made of picot peptide fibres," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-10, December.
    6. Quyang Liu & Xinyu Dong & Haobo Qi & Haoqi Zhang & Tian Li & Yijing Zhao & Guanjin Li & Wei Zhai, 2024. "3D printable strong and tough composite organo-hydrogels inspired by natural hierarchical composite design principles," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-11, December.
    7. Feifei Wang & Jipeng Zhang & Haotian Lu & Hanbing Zhu & Zihui Chen & Lu Wang & Jinyang Yu & Conghui You & Wenhao Li & Jianwei Song & Zhe Weng & Chunpeng Yang & Quan-Hong Yang, 2023. "Production of gas-releasing electrolyte-replenishing Ah-scale zinc metal pouch cells with aqueous gel electrolyte," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-10, December.
    8. Yong Hu & Jennifer L. Gottfried & Rose Pesce-Rodriguez & Chi-Chin Wu & Scott D. Walck & Zhiyu Liu & Sangeeth Balakrishnan & Scott Broderick & Zipeng Guo & Qiang Zhang & Lu An & Revant Adlakha & Mostaf, 2022. "Releasing chemical energy in spatially programmed ferroelectrics," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-9, December.
    9. Shuihong Zhu & Sen Wang & Yifan Huang & Qiyun Tang & Tianqi Fu & Riyan Su & Chaoyu Fan & Shuang Xia & Pooi See Lee & Youhui Lin, 2024. "Bioinspired structural hydrogels with highly ordered hierarchical orientations by flow-induced alignment of nanofibrils," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-13, December.
    10. Jinpei Wang & Yuxin Song & Fanfei Yu & Yijun Zeng & Chenyang Wu & Xuezhi Qin & Liang Peng & Yitan Li & Yongsen Zhou & Ran Tao & Hangchen Liu & Hong Zhu & Ming Sun & Wanghuai Xu & Chao Zhang & Zuankai , 2024. "Ultrastrong, flexible thermogalvanic armor with a Carnot-relative efficiency over 8%," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-9, December.
    11. Tianshen Jiang & Sirong Chen & Jingwen Xu & Yuxiao Zhang & Hao Fu & Qiangjun Ling & Yan Xu & Xiangyu Chu & Ruinan Wang & Liangcong Hu & Hao Li & Weitong Huang & Liming Bian & Pengchao Zhao & Fuxin Wei, 2024. "Superporous sponge prepared by secondary network compaction with enhanced permeability and mechanical properties for non-compressible hemostasis in pigs," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-16, December.
    12. Shaoji Wu & Zhao Liu & Caihong Gong & Wanjiang Li & Sijia Xu & Rui Wen & Wen Feng & Zhiming Qiu & Yurong Yan, 2024. "Spider-silk-inspired strong and tough hydrogel fibers with anti-freezing and water retention properties," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-10, December.
    13. Jingjun Wu & Jing Guo & Changhong Linghu & Yahui Lu & Jizhou Song & Tao Xie & Qian Zhao, 2021. "Rapid digital light 3D printing enabled by a soft and deformable hydrogel separation interface," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-9, December.
    14. Shuzhen Yan & Kaiming Hu & Shuai Chen & Tiantian Li & Wenming Zhang & Jie Yin & Xuesong Jiang, 2022. "Photo-induced stress relaxation in reconfigurable disulfide-crosslinked supramolecular films visualized by dynamic wrinkling," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-10, December.
    15. Chenyue Guo & Huajie Tang & Pengfei Wang & Qihao Xu & Haodan Pan & Xinyu Zhao & Fan Fan & Tingxian Li & Dongliang Zhao, 2024. "Radiative cooling assisted self-sustaining and highly efficient moisture energy harvesting," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-9, December.
    16. Feipeng Chen & Xiufeng Li & Yafeng Yu & Qingchuan Li & Haisong Lin & Lizhi Xu & Ho Cheung Shum, 2023. "Phase-separation facilitated one-step fabrication of multiscale heterogeneous two-aqueous-phase gel," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-14, December.
    17. Wenqian He & Meilin Wang & Guangkai Mei & Shiyong Liu & Abdul Qadeer Khan & Chao Li & Danyang Feng & Zihao Su & Lili Bao & Ge Wang & Enzhao Liu & Yutian Zhu & Jie Bai & Meifang Zhu & Xiang Zhou & Zunf, 2024. "Establishing superfine nanofibrils for robust polyelectrolyte artificial spider silk and powerful artificial muscles," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-11, December.
    18. Dan Xu & Yang Yang & Lukas Emmerich & Yong Wang & Kai Zhang, 2023. "Divergent Deborah number-dependent transition from homogeneity to heterogeneity," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, December.
    19. Siheng Wang & Le Yu & Shanshan Wang & Lei Zhang & Lu Chen & Xu Xu & Zhanqian Song & He Liu & Chaoji Chen, 2022. "Strong, tough, ionic conductive, and freezing-tolerant all-natural hydrogel enabled by cellulose-bentonite coordination interactions," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-11, December.
    20. Saxena, Shatakshi & Johnson, Michael & Dixit, Fuhar & Zimmermann, Karl & Chaudhuri, Shreya & Kaka, Fiyanshu & Kandasubramanian, Balasubramanian, 2023. "Thinking green with 2-D and 3-D MXenes: Environment friendly synthesis and industrial scale applications and global impact," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 178(C).

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:15:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-024-48121-7. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.