DMI/MEMS Seminar Presented by Prof. Zachariah A. Page

Abstract: Light as an energy source has enabled transformative technologies in imaging, lithography, adhesives, and 3D printing. Its broad utility arises from the unparalleled spatiotemporal control over chemical transformations that it offers. However, contemporary methods rely on high energy UV light (<400 nm), which limits material compatibility due to pervasive degradation and attenuation that occurs upon non-selective absorption and/or scattering. Excitingly, the recent commercialization of inexpensive light emitting diodes has opened an avenue to examine mild visible-to-near infrared induced reactions in materials chemistry. This presentation will focus on how the Page Research Group has developed and leveraged low energy light driven polymerizations to generate a versatile array of soft materials with unprecedented speed and spatiotemporal precision. Specifically, catalyst design principles to enable rapid solidification of photopolymer resins using visible-to-near infrared light will be discussed, along with their utility and optimization in high resolution additive manufacturing towards all-polymer multimaterial composites.