Two-photon excitation provides a means of activating chemical or physical processes with high spatial resolution in three dimensions and has made possible the development of three-dimensional fluorescence imaging, optical data storage, and lithographic microfabrication. These applications take advantage of the fact that the two-photon absorption probability depends quadratically on intensity, so under tight-focusing conditions, the absorption is confined at the focus to a volume of order λ3 (where λ is the laser wavelength). Any subsequent process, such as fluorescence or a photoinduced chemical reaction, is also localized in this small volume. Although three-dimensional data storage and microfabrication have been illustrated using two-photon-initiated polymerization of resins incorporating conventional ultraviolet-absorbing initiators, such photopolymer systems exhibit low photosensitivity as the initiators have small two-photon absorption cross-sections (δ). Consequently, this approach requires high laser power, and its widespread use remains impractical. Here we report on a class of π;-conjugated compounds that exhibit large δ (as high as 1, 250 × 10−50 cm4 s per photon) and enhanced two-photon sensitivity relative to ultraviolet initiators. Two-photon excitable resins based on these new initiators have been developed and used to demonstrate a scheme for three-dimensional data storage which permits fluorescent and refractive read-out, and the fabrication of three-dimensional micro-optical and micromechanical structures, including photonic-bandgap-type structures.

Two-photon polymerization initiators for three-dimensional optical data storage and microfabrication

Additive manufacturing (AM), also known as three-dimensional (3D) printing, has boomed over the last 30 years, and its use has accelerated during the last 5 years AM is a materials-oriented manufacturing technology, and printing resolution versus printing scalability/speed trade-off exists among various types of materials, including polymers, metals, ceramics, glasses, and composite materials Four-dimensional (4D) printing, together with versatile transformation systems, drives researchers to achieve and utilize high dimensional AM Multiple perspectives of the AM of structural materials have been raised and illustrated in this review, including multi-material AM (MMa-AM), multi-modulus AM (MMo-AM), multi-scale AM (MSc-AM), multi-system AM (MSy-AM), multi-dimensional AM (MD-AM), and multi-function AM (MF-AM) The rapid and tremendous development of AM materials and methods offers great potential for structural applications, such as in the aerospace field, the biomedical field, electronic devices, nuclear industry, flexible and wearable devices, soft sensors, actuators, and robotics, jewelry and art decorations, land transportation, underwater devices, and porous structures

Additive manufacturing of structural materials

Additive manufacturing (AM) has gained significant attention due to its ability to drive technological development as a sustainable, flexible, and customizable manufacturing scheme. Among the various AM techniques, direct ink writing (DIW) has emerged as the most versatile 3D printing technique for the broadest range of materials. DIW allows printing of practically any material, as long as the precursor ink can be engineered to demonstrate appropriate rheological behavior. This technique acts as a unique pathway to introduce design freedom, multifunctionality, and stability simultaneously into its printed structures. Here, a comprehensive review of DIW of complex 3D structures from various materials, including polymers, ceramics, glass, cement, graphene, metals, and their combinations through multimaterial printing is presented. The review begins with an overview of the fundamentals of ink rheology, followed by an in‐depth discussion of the various methods to tailor the ink for DIW of different classes of materials. Then, the diverse applications of DIW ranging from electronics to food to biomedical industries are discussed. Finally, the current challenges and limitations of this technique are highlighted, followed by its prospects as a guideline toward possible futuristic innovations.

Direct Ink Writing: A 3D Printing Technology for Diverse Materials

Additive Manufacturing of Piezoelectric Materials

Preparation of high solid loading and low viscosity ceramic slurries for photopolymerization-based 3D printing

Along with extensive research on the three-dimensional (3D) printing of polymers and metals, 3D printing of ceramics is now the latest trend to come under the spotlight. The ability to fabricate ceramic components of arbitrarily complex shapes has been extremely challenging without 3D printing. This review focuses on the latest advances in the 3D printing of ceramics and presents the historical origins and evolution of each related technique. The main technical aspects, including feedstock properties, process control, post-treatments and energy source–material interactions, are also discussed. The technical challenges and advice about how to address these are presented. Comparisons are made between the techniques to facilitate the selection of the best ones in practical use. In addition, representative applications of the 3D printing of various types of ceramics are surveyed. Future directions are pointed out on the advancement on materials and forming mechanism for the fabrication of high-performance ceramic components.

3D printing of ceramics: A review

Mechanical properties and microstructures of 3D printed bulk cordierite parts

In this study, a high-entropy perovskite oxide Sr(Zr0.2Sn0.2Hf0.2Ti0.2Nb0.2)O3 (SZSHTN) was first introduced to Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3 (NBT) lead-free ferroelectric ceramics to boost both the high-temperature dielectric stability and energy storage performance. Excellent comprehensive performance was simultaneously obtained in the 0.8NBT–0.2SZSHTN ceramic with high ε′ value (> 2000), wide ε′-temperature stable range (TCC < 5%, 52.4–362°C), low tanδ value in a wide range (<0.01, 90–341°C) and high energy storage performance (Wrec = 3.52 J/cm3, Wrec and η varies ±6.08% and ±7.4% from 20 to 150°C), which endows it the promising potential to be used in high-temperature environments. 

Dielectric temperature stability and energy storage performance of NBT‐based ceramics by introducing high‐entropy oxide

A flexible and integrated design and manufacturing process based on photopolymerization DLP 3D printing technology is proposed to fabricate tritium breeder units that can be used in fusion reactors. Defect-free cellular structures of lithium-enriched Li4SiO4 is manufactured for the first time that can be used to replace the traditional pebble beds configuration to overcome problems resulted from stress concentration and difficulty in packing fraction improvement. As-received large Li4SiO4 powder which is highly sensitive to air and ambient environment is protected and processed in inert glove box for the use in the preparation and optimization of stable photopolymerizable resin-based ceramic slurry suitable for DLP 3D printing. Appropriate debinding and sintering treatments applied result in homogeneous shrinkage and preserved features of the cellular structures, showing benefits for dimension control. The intact structures possess high phase purity and suitable and tailorable effective ‘packing fraction’ for breeding application. Mechanical tests and the obtained results compared with existing works further confirm that the cellular parts prepared in this work have advantageous performance. The unique advantage of flexible control in design and manufacturing of 3D printing may pave a promising way for greater possibilities to engineer novel tailored high-performance tritium breeder structures used in nuclear fusion technology.

Junjie Li

Papers

3D printing of ceramics: A review

Preparation of high solid loading and low viscosity ceramic slurries for photopolymerization-based 3D printing

Mechanical properties and microstructures of 3D printed bulk cordierite parts

Dielectric temperature stability and energy storage performance of NBT‐based ceramics by introducing high‐entropy oxide

3D printing of ceramic cellular structures for potential nuclear fusion application