Patent Application
20210115279
The present disclosure generally relates to additive manufacturing methods, additive manufacturing compositions, and articles made therefrom.
High-performance engineering thermoplastics typically contain highly aromatic molecular structures leading to glass transition temperatures (Tg) above 200° C., degradation temperatures (Td) above 500° C., and excellent mechanical properties (Young's modulus exceeding 1 GPa). Their high thermal stability facilitates impact in aerospace, automotive, and microelectronics industries. However, an all-aromatic molecular structure limits their application due to melt processing challenges. The thermal resistance of these polymers makes processing using conventional melt processing essentially impossible.
Polyimides and polybenzoxazoles are widely used in industry as high-temperature engineering materials in a large variety of environment (e.g. at high and low temperatures, in vacuum, in space, in chemically reactive environments) and products (e.g. in space suits, as protective clothing, as thermal and electrical insulation, as radiation shields for electronics, and filtration media, such as membranes). To date, these products are produced by conventional fabrication techniques which restrict the geometries of the latter. Especially PDMA-ODA polyimide, Kapton, is only available as film.
Current solutions involve a compromise between processability and properties. Energy-intensive molding processes result in limited resolution and complexity. Moreover, dimensional stability of the molded components is extremely sensitive to the presence of moisture. Overcoming the processing barriers of high-temperature polyimides without compromising their molecular architecture requires unique synthetic and manufacturing strategies.
Stereolithography is an additive manufacturing process that works by focusing an ultraviolet (UV) laser on a vat of polymerizable photopolymer resin. Complex three-dimensional structures can be built in a layer-by-layer fashion. Manufacturing using mask-projection stereolithography (MPSL) requires a photo-crosslinkable site in the polymeric (or monomeric) material. Typically, the polymeric design integrates an inert core with photo-crosslinkable moieties such as acrylates or epoxies. The preparation of complex scaffolds for tissue and cell growth represents a recent application of MPSL. While these reports highlight the importance of multifunctional polymers as 3D-printable materials, the biological focus has restricted the field to aliphatic polymers and oligomers. The Td of these aliphatic polymers is generally lower than 400□C with Tg usually below 100° C. Only a few high-Td, 3D printable polymers such as cyanate ester resins exist. Furthermore, the limited range of engineering polymers available for 3D printing using MPSL is further constrained to thermosets due to molecular design constraints. There is a need for new functional polymeric materials for unlocking the potential of 3D printing with MPSL.
PCT/US2017/47426 describes homogenous 3D objects made of high performance polymers such as Kapton, produced by SLA. The approach relies upon soluble acrylate-functional polyamic ester precursors as with photo-curable acrylate groups enable 3D printing of the material by SLA. Guo et al. prepared soluble, fully imidized polyimides bearing acrylate groups along the polymer backbone as UV-crosslinkable precursors and printed the latter by direct light processing 3D printing (Guo, Y. et al, J. Mater. Chem. A 2017, DOI: 10.1039/C7TA01952A). However, these approaches rely upon the availability of soluble polyimides and/or proceed through a polyamic ester intermediate that is printed and converted to polyimide via post-processing.
There remains a need for improved compositions for additive manufacturing and 3D printing, methods of making, and uses thereof that overcome the aforementioned deficiencies.
In various aspects, polymer resins and methods of use are provided that overcome one or more of the aforementioned deficiencies. In some aspects, a polymer resins is provided for ultraviolet-assisted direct ink write photopolymerization. The polymer resin can include a polyamic acid salt with repeat units having a structure according to the following formula where each occurrence of R″ is a photocrosslinkable group; where each occurrence of R is independently H, substituted and unsubstituted alkyl, substituted and unsubstituted heteroalkyl, or substituted and unsubstituted alkenyl
In the above aspects, each occurrence of Ar can be independently selected from the group
In the above structures, each occurrence of X is independently a substituted or unsubstituted aryl or heteroaryl group; and each occurrence of Y is independently selected from the group consisting of O, S, C═O, C(CF3)2, C(CH3)2, SO2, and C≡C.
In some aspects, each occurrence of X is independently selected from the group
In some aspects, each occurrence of R″ is selected from the group
In some aspects, a polymer resin is provided for ultraviolet-assisted direct ink write photopolymerization. The polymer resin can include (i) a polyamic acid salt formed from the addition of a photocrosslinkable amine to a polyamic acid.
The photocrosslinkable amine can include any of the following where each occurrence of R1 is independently —H or —CH3; where each occurrence of R2 is independently —H, —CH3, or —CH2CH3; and where each occurrence of R3 and R4 is independently —H, an aliphatic group, or an aromatic group.
In some aspects, the polyamic acid is formed by the addition of a diamine to a dianhydride in a suitable precursor solvent and wherein the polyamic acid is not isolated from the suitable solvent prior to forming the polyamic acid salt. In some aspects, the suitable precursor solvent is selected from the group consisting of: N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), dimethylacetamide (DMAC), dimethylformamide (DMF), y-butyrolactone, mixtures with hydrocarbon solvents/aromatic hydrocarbon solvents, water, ammonia, and mixtures thereof. In some aspects the polyamic acid has a viscosity ranging from about 100 Pa·s to 400 Pa·s.
The polymer resins described herein can also include (ii) a photoinitiator suitable for initiating crosslinking of the photocrosslinkable groups (e.g. suitable for initiating crosslinking of the photocrosslinkable amine) when exposed to a light source of a suitable wavelength and intensity; and (iii) a suitable solvent.
A variety of methods of making an article are also provided. The methods can include (a) applying an effective amount of a light to a polymer resin described herein; (b) repeating step (a) a number of times to form the precursor article in a layer-by-layer fashion; and (c) heating the precursor article to a first elevated temperature for a period of time to form the article comprising polyimide repeat units having a structure according to the following formula wherein each occurrence of X is a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic group, and wherein each occurrence of A is a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic group.
Other systems, methods, features, and advantages of the polymer resins and method of making articles using the polymer resins will be or become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following drawings and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features, and advantages be included within this description, be within the scope of the present disclosure, and be protected by the accompanying claims.
Further aspects of the present disclosure will be readily appreciated upon review of the detailed description of its various embodiments, described below, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
Only little is reported on SLA or UV-DIW of high-performance materials. One example is the 3D printing of ceramics. In particular, slurries of ceramic particles using a sacrificial photopolymer are prepared, 3D printed and post-processing sintering (>1000° C.) removes all polymeric material and generates the final object. [4] Regarding fully aromatic polyimides, traditional processing is based on a 2-step procedure, which restricts the geometry of the products to films (Scheme 1). In detail, a soluble polyamic acid is synthesized starting from a diamine and a dianhydride and subsequently casted on a substrate, followed by thermal imidization (−350° C.) to generate the final polyimide film/coating. Unfortunately, this method is not suitable for SLA or UV-DIW, due to the lack of photo-crosslinkable moieties.
Recently, Long and co-workers reported the first homogenous 3D object made of Kapton, produced by SLA. [5] The authors prepared soluble acrylate-functional polyamic ester precursors as depicted in Scheme 2. The photo-curable acrylate groups enable 3D printing of the material using vat photopolymerization. After printing, a 3D organogel is obtained which is converted to a polyimide by drying and subsequent thermal treatment. In contrast, Guo et al. prepared soluble, fully imidized polyimide oligomers bearing acrylate groups along the polymer backbone as UV-crosslinkable precursors and printed the latter b direct light processing 3D printing.[6]
Presented herein are approaches and compositions that differ from the above-mentioned ones and avoids polyamic ester formation and does not require soluble polyimides. Here, the synthesis of soluble polyamic acid salts bearing crosslinkable units allows for photo-curing using SLA and generation of complex 3D shapes. Subsequent drying and thermal imidization of the 3D printed parts yield all-aromatic polyimides. By choosing the appropriate diamine monomers, polybenzoxazoles can also be synthesized using the same strategy. Similar approaches have been reported for 2D lithography, but have not been applied in SLA or to produce 3D objects. [7,8]
Although SLA is advantageous in some cases, there are some limitations to SLA. For example, SLA systems utilize vats filled with a resin that is subsequently selectively photo cured to produce a 3D object. Inherently, an excess of photocurable resin must be employed. Further, SLA does not readily allow for the production of multi-material parts. Ultraviolet-Assisted Direct Ink Write (UV-DIW) is an additive manufacturing method that is a subcategory of DIW, which utilizes UV-irradiation to cross-link extruded photopolymer resins during printing to induce gelation and shape retention after ink placement. Unlike SLA, UV-DIW does not use a vat of photo curable resin. Further, UV-DIW can utilize a wide range of viscoelastic materials with greater viscosities than can be utilized with inkjet material printing or SLA. However, there are relatively few available resins suitable of UV-DIW. Also described herein are the synthesis of soluble polyamic acid salts bearing crosslinkable units allows for photo-curing using UV-DIW and generation of complex 3D shapes.
Before the present disclosure is described in greater detail, it is to be understood that this disclosure is not limited to particular embodiments described, and as such may, of course, vary. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to be limiting. The skilled artisan will recognize many variants and adaptations of the embodiments described herein. These variants and adaptations are intended to be included in the teachings of this disclosure.
All publications and patents cited in this specification are cited to disclose and describe the methods and/or materials in connection with which the publications are cited. All such publications and patents are herein incorporated by references as if each individual publication or patent were specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference. Such incorporation by reference is expressly limited to the methods and/or materials described in the cited publications and patents and does not extend to any lexicographical definitions from the cited publications and patents. Any lexicographical definition in the publications and patents cited that is not also expressly repeated in the instant specification should not be treated as such and should not be read as defining any terms appearing in the accompanying claims. The citation of any publication is for its disclosure prior to the filing date and should not be construed as an admission that the present disclosure is not entitled to antedate such publication by virtue of prior disclosure. Further, the dates of publication provided could be different from the actual publication dates that may need to be independently confirmed.
Although any methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can also be used in the practice or testing of the present disclosure, the preferred methods and materials are now described. Functions or constructions well-known in the art may not be described in detail for brevity and/or clarity. Embodiments of the present disclosure will employ, unless otherwise indicated, techniques of nanotechnology, organic chemistry, material science and engineering and the like, which are within the skill of the art. Such techniques are explained fully in the literature.
It should be noted that ratios, concentrations, amounts, and other numerical data can be expressed herein in a range format. It is to be understood that such a range format is used for convenience and brevity, and thus, should be interpreted in a flexible manner to include not only the numerical values explicitly recited as the limits of the range, but also to include all the individual numerical values or sub-ranges encompassed within that range as if each numerical value and sub-range is explicitly recited. To illustrate, a numerical range of “about 0.1% to about 5%” should be interpreted to include not only the explicitly recited values of about 0.1% to about 5%, but also include individual values (e.g., 1%, 2%, 3%, and 4%) and the sub-ranges (e.g., 0.5%, 1.1%, 2.2%, 3.3%, and 4.4%) within the indicated range. Where the stated range includes one or both of the limits, ranges excluding either or both of those included limits are also included in the disclosure, e.g. the phrase “x to y” includes the range from ‘x’ to ‘y’ as well as the range greater than ‘x’ and less than ‘y’. The range can also be expressed as an upper limit, e.g. ‘about x, y, z, or less’ and should be interpreted to include the specific ranges of ‘about x’, ‘about y’, and ‘about z’ as well as the ranges of ‘less than x’, less than y′, and ‘less than z’. Likewise, the phrase ‘about x, y, z, or greater’ should be interpreted to include the specific ranges of ‘about x’, ‘about y’, and ‘about z’ as well as the ranges of ‘greater than x’, greater than y′, and ‘greater than z’. In some embodiments, the term “about” can include traditional rounding according to significant figures of the numerical value. In addition, the phrase “about ‘x’ to ‘y’”, where ‘x’ and ‘y’ are numerical values, includes “about ‘x’ to about ‘y’”.
In some instances, units may be used herein that are non-metric or non-SI units. Such units may be, for instance, in U.S. Customary Measures, e.g., as set forth by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Department of Commerce, United States of America in publications such as NIST HB 44, NIST HB 133, NIST SP 811, NIST SP 1038, NBS Miscellaneous Publication 214, and the like. The units in U.S. Customary Measures are understood to include equivalent dimensions in metric and other units (e.g., a dimension disclosed as “1 inch” is intended to mean an equivalent dimension of “2.5 cm”; a unit disclosed as “1 pcf” is intended to mean an equivalent dimension of 0.157 kN/m3; or a unit disclosed 100° F. is intended to mean an equivalent dimension of 37.8° C.; and the like) as understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art.
Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the specification and relevant art and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly defined herein.
The articles “a” and “an,” as used herein, mean one or more when applied to any feature in embodiments of the present invention described in the specification and claims. The use of “a” and “an” does not limit the meaning to a single feature unless such a limit is specifically stated. The article “the” preceding singular or plural nouns or noun phrases denotes a particular specified feature or particular specified features and may have a singular or plural connotation depending upon the context in which it is used.
The term “alkyl” refers to the radical of saturated aliphatic groups, including straight-chain alkyl groups, branched-chain alkyl groups, cycloalkyl (alicyclic) groups, alkyl-substituted cycloalkyl groups, and cycloalkyl-substituted alkyl groups.
In some embodiments, a straight chain or branched chain alkyl has 30 or fewer carbon atoms in its backbone (e.g., C1-C30 for straight chains, C3-C30 for branched chains), 20 or fewer, 12 or fewer, or 7 or fewer. Likewise, in some embodiments cycloalkyls have from 3-10 carbon atoms in their ring structure, e.g. have 5, 6 or 7 carbons in the ring structure. The term “alkyl” (or “lower alkyl”) as used throughout the specification, examples, and claims is intended to include both “unsubstituted alkyls” and “substituted alkyls”, the latter of which refers to alkyl moieties having one or more substituents replacing a hydrogen on one or more carbons of the hydrocarbon backbone. Such substituents include, but are not limited to, halogen, hydroxyl, carbonyl (such as a carboxyl, alkoxycarbonyl, formyl, or an acyl), thiocarbonyl (such as a thioester, a thioacetate, or a thioformate), alkoxyl, phosphoryl, phosphate, phosphonate, a hosphinate, amino, amido, amidine, imine, cyano, nitro, azido, sulfhydryl, alkylthio, sulfate, sulfonate, sulfamoyl, sulfonamido, sulfonyl, heterocyclyl, aralkyl, or an aromatic or heteroaromatic moiety.
Unless the number of carbons is otherwise specified, “lower alkyl” as used herein means an alkyl group, as defined above, but having from one to ten carbons, or from one to six carbon atoms in its backbone structure. Likewise, “lower alkenyl” and “lower alkynyl” have similar chain lengths. Throughout the application, preferred alkyl groups are lower alkyls. In some embodiments, a substituent designated herein as alkyl is a lower alkyl
It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the moieties substituted on the hydrocarbon chain can themselves be substituted, if appropriate. For instance, the substituents of a substituted alkyl may include halogen, hydroxy, nitro, thiols, amino, azido, imino, amido, phosphoryl (including phosphonate and phosphinate), sulfonyl (including sulfate, sulfonamido, sulfamoyl and sulfonate), and silyl groups, as well as ethers, alkylthios, carbonyls (including ketones, aldehydes, carboxylates, and esters), —CF3, —CN and the like. Cycloalkyls can be substituted in the same manner.
The term “heteroalkyl”, as used herein, refers to straight or branched chain, or cyclic carbon-containing radicals, or combinations thereof, containing at least one heteroatom. Suitable heteroatoms include, but are not limited to, O, N, Si, P, Se, B, and S, wherein the phosphorous and sulfur atoms are optionally oxidized, and the nitrogen heteroatom is optionally quaternized. Heteroalkyls can be substituted as defined above for alkyl groups.
The term “alkylthio” refers to an alkyl group, as defined above, having a sulfur radical attached thereto. In some embodiments, the “alkylthio” moiety is represented by one of —S-alkyl, —S-alkenyl, and —S-alkynyl. Representative alkylthio groups include methylthio, and ethylthio. The term “alkylthio” also encompasses cycloalkyl groups, alkene and cycloalkene groups, and alkyne groups. “Arylthio” refers to aryl or heteroaryl groups. Alkylthio groups can be substituted as defined above for alkyl groups.
The terms “alkenyl” and “alkynyl”, refer to unsaturated aliphatic groups analogous in length and possible substitution to the alkyls described above, but that contain at least one double or triple bond respectively.
The terms “alkoxyl” or “alkoxy” as used herein refers to an alkyl group, as defined above, having an oxygen radical attached thereto. Representative alkoxyl groups include methoxy, ethoxy, propyloxy, and tert-butoxy. An “ether” is two hydrocarbons covalently linked by an oxygen. Accordingly, the substituent of an alkyl that renders that alkyl an ether is or resembles an alkoxyl, such as can be represented by one of —O-alkyl, —O-alkenyl, and —O-alkynyl. Aroxy can be represented by —O-aryl or O-heteroaryl, wherein aryl and heteroaryl are as defined below. The alkoxy and aroxy groups can be substituted as described above for alkyl.
The terms “amine” and “amino” are art-recognized and refer to both unsubstituted and substituted amines, e.g., a moiety that can be represented by the general formula:
wherein R9, R10, and R′10 each independently represent a hydrogen, an alkyl, an alkenyl, —(CH2)m—R8 or R9 and R10 taken together with the N atom to which they are attached complete a heterocycle having from 4 to 8 atoms in the ring structure; R8 represents an aryl, a cycloalkyl, a cycloalkenyl, a heterocycle or a polycycle; and m is zero or an integer in the range of 1 to 8. In some embodiments, only one of R9 or R10 can be a carbonyl, e.g., R9, R10 and the nitrogen together do not form an imide. In still other embodiments, the term “amine” does not encompass amides, e.g., wherein one of R9 and R10 represents a carbonyl. In additional embodiments, R9 and R10 (and optionally R′10) each independently represent a hydrogen, an alkyl or cycloakly, an alkenyl or cycloalkenyl, or alkynyl. Thus, the term “alkylamine” as used herein means an amine group, as defined above, having a substituted (as described above for alkyl) or unsubstituted alkyl attached thereto, i.e., at least one of R9 and R10 is an alkyl group.
The term “amido” is art-recognized as an amino-substituted carbonyl and includes a moiety that can be represented by the general formula:
wherein R9 and R10 are as defined above.
“Aryl”, as used herein, refers to C5-C10-membered aromatic, heterocyclic, fused aromatic, fused heterocyclic, biaromatic, or bihetereocyclic ring systems. Broadly defined, “aryl”, as used herein, includes 5-, 6-, 7-, 8-, 9-, and 10-membered single-ring aromatic groups that may include from zero to four heteroatoms, for example, benzene, pyrrole, furan, thiophene, imidazole, oxazole, thiazole, triazole, pyrazole, pyridine, pyrazine, pyridazine and pyrimidine, and the like. Those aryl groups having heteroatoms in the ring structure may also be referred to as “aryl heterocycles” or “heteroaromatics”. The aromatic ring can be substituted at one or more ring positions with one or more substituents including, but not limited to, halogen, azide, alkyl, aralkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, cycloalkyl, hydroxyl, alkoxyl, amino (or quaternized amino), nitro, sulfhydryl, imino, amido, phosphonate, phosphinate, carbonyl, carboxyl, silyl, ether, alkylthio, sulfonyl, sulfonamido, ketone, aldehyde, ester, heterocyclyl, aromatic or heteroaromatic moieties, —CF3, —CN; and combinations thereof.
The term “aryl” also includes polycyclic ring systems having two or more cyclic rings in which two or more carbons are common to two adjoining rings (i.e., “fused rings”) wherein at least one of the rings is aromatic, e.g., the other cyclic ring or rings can be cycloalkyls, cycloalkenyls, cycloalkynyls, aryls and/or heterocycles. Examples of heterocyclic rings include, but are not limited to, benzimidazolyl, benzofuranyl, benzothiofuranyl, benzothiophenyl, benzoxazolyl, benzoxazolinyl, benzthiazolyl, benztriazolyl, benztetrazolyl, benzisoxazolyl, benzisothiazolyl, benzimidazolinyl, carbazolyl, 4aH carbazolyl, carbolinyl, chromanyl, chromenyl, cinnolinyl, decahydroquinolinyl, 2H,6H-1,5,2-dithiazinyl, dihydrofuro[2,3 b]tetrahydrofuran, furanyl, furazanyl, imidazolidinyl, imidazolinyl, imidazolyl, 1H-indazolyl, indolenyl, indolinyl, indolizinyl, indolyl, 3H-indolyl, isatinoyl, isobenzofuranyl, isochromanyl, isoindazolyl, isoindolinyl, isoindolyl, isoquinolinyl, isothiazolyl, isoxazolyl, methylenedioxyphenyl, morpholinyl, naphthyridinyl, octahydroisoquinolinyl, oxadiazolyl, 1,2,3-oxadiazolyl, 1,2,4-oxadiazolyl, 1,2,5-oxadiazolyl, 1,3,4-oxadiazolyl, oxazolidinyl, oxazolyl, oxindolyl, pyrimidinyl, phenanthridinyl, phenanthrolinyl, phenazinyl, phenothiazinyl, phenoxathinyl, phenoxazinyl, phthalazinyl, piperazinyl, piperidinyl, piperidonyl, 4-piperidonyl, piperonyl, pteridinyl, purinyl, pyranyl, pyrazinyl, pyrazolidinyl, pyrazolinyl, pyrazolyl, pyridazinyl, pyridooxazole, pyridoimidazole, pyridothiazole, pyridinyl, pyridyl, pyrimidinyl, pyrrolidinyl, pyrrolinyl, 2H-pyrrolyl, pyrrolyl, quinazolinyl, quinolinyl, 4H-quinolizinyl, quinoxalinyl, quinuclidinyl, tetrahydrofuranyl, tetrahydroisoquinolinyl, tetrahydroquinolinyl, tetrazolyl, 6H-1,2,5-thiadiazinyl, 1,2,3-thiadiazolyl, 1,2,4-thiadiazolyl, 1,2,5-thiadiazolyl, 1,3,4-thiadiazolyl, thianthrenyl, thiazolyl, thienyl, thienothiazolyl, thienooxazolyl, thienoimidazolyl, thiophenyl and xanthenyl. One or more of the rings can be substituted as defined above for “aryl”.
The term “aralkyl”, as used herein, refers to an alkyl group substituted with an aryl group (e.g., an aromatic or heteroaromatic group).
The term “carbocycle”, as used herein, refers to an aromatic or non-aromatic ring in which each atom of the ring is carbon.
“Heterocycle” or “heterocyclic”, as used herein, refers to a cyclic radical attached via a ring carbon or nitrogen of a monocyclic or bicyclic ring containing 3-10 ring atoms, and preferably from 5-6 ring atoms, consisting of carbon and one to four heteroatoms each selected from the group consisting of non-peroxide oxygen, sulfur, and N(Y) wherein Y is absent or is H, O, (C1-C10) alkyl, phenyl or benzyl, and optionally containing 1-3 double bonds and optionally substituted with one or more substituents. Examples of heterocyclic ring include, but are not limited to, benzimidazolyl, benzofuranyl, benzothiofuranyl, benzothiophenyl, benzoxazolyl, benzoxazolinyl, benzthiazolyl, benztriazolyl, benztetrazolyl, benzisoxazolyl, benzisothiazolyl, benzimidazolinyl, carbazolyl, 4aH-carbazolyl, carbolinyl, chromanyl, chromenyl, cinnolinyl, decahydroquinolinyl, 2H,6H-1,5,2-dithiazinyl, dihydrofuro[2,3-b]tetrahydrofuran, furanyl, furazanyl, imidazolidinyl, imidazolinyl, imidazolyl, 1H-indazolyl, indolenyl, indolinyl, indolizinyl, indolyl, 3H-indolyl, isatinoyl, isobenzofuranyl, isochromanyl, isoindazolyl, isoindolinyl, isoindolyl, isoquinolinyl, isothiazolyl, isoxazolyl, methylenedioxyphenyl, morpholinyl, naphthyridinyl, octahydroisoquinolinyl, oxadiazolyl, 1,2,3-oxadiazolyl, 1,2,4-oxadiazolyl, 1,2,5-oxadiazolyl, 1,3,4-oxadiazolyl, oxazolidinyl, oxazolyl, oxepanyl, oxetanyl, oxindolyl, pyrimidinyl, phenanthridinyl, phenanthrolinyl, phenazinyl, phenothiazinyl, phenoxathinyl, phenoxazinyl, phthalazinyl, piperazinyl, piperidinyl, piperidonyl, 4-piperidonyl, piperonyl, pteridinyl, purinyl, pyranyl, pyrazinyl, pyrazolidinyl, pyrazolinyl, pyrazolyl, pyridazinyl, pyridooxazole, pyridoimidazole, pyridothiazole, pyridinyl, pyridyl, pyrimidinyl, pyrrolidinyl, pyrrolinyl, 2H-pyrrolyl, pyrrolyl, quinazolinyl, quinolinyl, 4H-quinolizinyl, quinoxalinyl, quinuclidinyl, tetrahydrofuranyl, tetrahydroisoquinolinyl, tetrahydropyranyl, tetrahydroquinolinyl, tetrazolyl, 6H-1,2,5-thiadiazinyl, 1,2,3-thiadiazolyl, 1,2,4-thiadiazolyl, 1,2,5-thiadiazolyl, 1,3,4-thiadiazolyl, thianthrenyl, thiazolyl, thienyl, thienothiazolyl, thienooxazolyl, thienoimidazolyl, thiophenyl and xanthenyl. Heterocyclic groups can optionally be substituted with one or more substituents at one or more positions as defined above for alkyl and aryl, for example, halogen, alkyl, aralkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, cycloalkyl, hydroxyl, amino, nitro, sulfhydryl, imino, amido, phosphate, phosphonate, phosphinate, carbonyl, carboxyl, silyl, ether, alkylthio, sulfonyl, ketone, aldehyde, ester, a heterocyclyl, an aromatic or heteroaromatic moiety, —CF3, and —CN.
The term “carbonyl” is art-recognized and includes such moieties as can be represented by the general formula:
wherein X is a bond or represents an oxygen or a sulfur, and R11 represents a hydrogen, an alkyl, a cycloalkyl, an alkenyl, an cycloalkenyl, or an alkynyl, R′11 represents a hydrogen, an alkyl, a cycloalkyl, an alkenyl, an cycloalkenyl, or an alkynyl. Where X is an oxygen and R11 or R′11 is not hydrogen, the formula represents an “ester”. Where X is an oxygen and R11 is as defined above, the moiety is referred to herein as a carboxyl group, and particularly when R11 is a hydrogen, the formula represents a “carboxylic acid”. Where X is an oxygen and R′11 is hydrogen, the formula represents a “formate”. In general, where the oxygen atom of the above formula is replaced by sulfur, the formula represents a “thiocarbonyl” group. Where X is a sulfur and R11 or R′11 is not hydrogen, the formula represents a “thioester.” Where X is a sulfur and R11 is hydrogen, the formula represents a “thiocarboxylic acid.” Where X is a sulfur and R′11 is hydrogen, the formula represents a “thioformate.” On the other hand, where X is a bond, and R11 is not hydrogen, the above formula represents a “ketone” group. Where X is a bond, and R11 is hydrogen, the above formula represents an “aldehyde” group.
The term “monoester” as used herein refers to an analogue of a dicarboxylic acid wherein one of the carboxylic acids is functionalized as an ester and the other carboxylic acid is a free carboxylic acid or salt of a carboxylic acid. Examples of monoesters include, but are not limited to, to monoesters of succinic acid, glutaric acid, adipic acid, suberic acid, sebacic acid, azelaic acid, oxalic and maleic acid.
The term “heteroatom” as used herein means an atom of any element other than carbon or hydrogen. Examples of heteroatoms are boron, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, sulfur and selenium. Other heteroatoms include silicon and arsenic.
As used herein, the term “nitro” means —NO2; the term “halogen” designates —F, —Cl, —Br or —I; the term “sulfhydryl” means —SH; the term “hydroxyl” means —OH; and the term “sulfonyl” means —SO2—.
The term “substituted” as used herein, refers to all permissible substituents of the compounds described herein. In the broadest sense, the permissible substituents include acyclic and cyclic, branched and unbranched, carbocyclic and heterocyclic, aromatic and nonaromatic substituents of organic compounds. Illustrative substituents include, but are not limited to, halogens, hydroxyl groups, or any other organic groupings containing any number of carbon atoms, preferably 1-14 carbon atoms, and optionally include one or more heteroatoms such as oxygen, sulfur, or nitrogen grouping in linear, branched, or cyclic structural formats. Representative substituents include alkyl, substituted alkyl, alkenyl, substituted alkenyl, alkynyl, substituted alkynyl, phenyl, substituted phenyl, aryl, substituted aryl, heteroaryl, substituted heteroaryl, halo, hydroxyl, alkoxy, substituted alkoxy, phenoxy, substituted phenoxy, aroxy, substituted aroxy, alkylthio, substituted alkylthio, phenylthio, substituted phenylthio, arylthio, substituted arylthio, cyano, isocyano, substituted isocyano, carbonyl, substituted carbonyl, carboxyl, substituted carboxyl, amino, substituted amino, amido, substituted amido, sulfonyl, substituted sulfonyl, sulfonic acid, phosphoryl, substituted phosphoryl, phosphonyl, substituted phosphonyl, polyaryl, substituted polyaryl, C3-C20 cyclic, substituted C3-C20 cyclic, heterocyclic, substituted heterocyclic, aminoacid, peptide, and polypeptide groups.
Heteroatoms such as nitrogen may have hydrogen substituents and/or any permissible substituents of organic compounds described herein which satisfy the valences of the heteroatoms. It is understood that “substitution” or “substituted” includes the implicit proviso that such substitution is in accordance with permitted valence of the substituted atom and the substituent, and that the substitution results in a stable compound, i.e. a compound that does not spontaneously undergo transformation such as by rearrangement, cyclization, elimination, etc.
In a broad aspect, the permissible substituents include acyclic and cyclic, branched and unbranched, carbocyclic and heterocyclic, aromatic and nonaromatic substituents of organic compounds. Illustrative substituents include, for example, those described herein. The permissible substituents can be one or more and the same or different for appropriate organic compounds. The heteroatoms such as nitrogen may have hydrogen substituents and/or any permissible substituents of organic compounds described herein which satisfy the valencies of the heteroatoms.
In various aspects, the substituent is selected from alkoxy, aryloxy, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, amide, amino, aryl, arylalkyl, carbamate, carboxy, cyano, cycloalkyl, ester, ether, formyl, halogen, haloalkyl, heteroaryl, heterocyclyl, hydroxyl, ketone, nitro, phosphate, sulfide, sulfinyl, sulfonyl, sulfonic acid, sulfonamide, and thioketone, each of which optionally is substituted with one or more suitable substituents. In some embodiments, the substituent is selected from alkoxy, aryloxy, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, amide, amino, aryl, arylalkyl, carbamate, carboxy, cycloalkyl, ester, ether, formyl, haloalkyl, heteroaryl, heterocyclyl, ketone, phosphate, sulfide, sulfinyl, sulfonyl, sulfonic acid, sulfonamide, and thioketone, wherein each of the alkoxy, aryloxy, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, amide, amino, aryl, arylalkyl, carbamate, carboxy, cycloalkyl, ester, ether, formyl, haloalkyl, heteroaryl, heterocyclyl, ketone, phosphate, sulfide, sulfinyl, sulfonyl, sulfonic acid, sulfonamide, and thioketone can be further substituted with one or more suitable substituents.
Examples of substituents include, but are not limited to, halogen, azide, alkyl, aralkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, cycloalkyl, hydroxyl, alkoxyl, amino, nitro, sulfhydryl, imino, amido, phosphonate, phosphinate, carbonyl, carboxyl, silyl, ether, alkylthio, sulfonyl, sulfonamido, ketone, aldehyde, thioketone, ester, heterocyclyl, —CN, aryl, aryloxy, perhaloalkoxy, aralkoxy, heteroaryl, heteroaryloxy, heteroarylalkyl, heteroaralkoxy, azido, alkylthio, oxo, acylalkyl, carboxy esters, carboxamido, acyloxy, aminoalkyl, alkylaminoaryl, alkylaryl, alkylaminoalkyl, alkoxyaryl, arylamino, aralkylamino, alkylsulfonyl, carboxamidoalkylaryl, carboxamidoaryl, hydroxyalkyl, haloalkyl, alkylaminoalkylcarboxy, aminocarboxamidoalkyl, cyano, alkoxyalkyl, perhaloalkyl, arylalkyloxyalkyl, and the like. In some embodiments, the substituent is selected from cyano, halogen, hydroxyl, and nitro.
The term “copolymer” as used herein, generally refers to a single polymeric material that is comprised of two or more different monomers. The copolymer can be of any form, such as random, block, graft, etc. The copolymers can have any end-group, including capped or acid end groups.
The terms “mean particle size” and “average particle size,” as used interchangeably herein, generally refer to the statistical mean particle size (diameter) of the particles in the composition.
The terms “mean pore size” and “average pore size,” as used interchangeably herein, generally refer to the statistical mean pore size (diameter) of the pores in a porous material.
The terms “monodisperse” and “homogeneous size distribution”, as used interchangeably herein, describe a population of particles or pores all having the same or nearly the same size. As used herein, a monodisperse distribution refers to distributions in which 90% of the particles or pores in the distribution have a size that lies within 5% of the mean size for the distribution.
As used herein, the term “linker” refers to a carbon chain that can contain heteroatoms (e.g., nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur, etc.) and which may be 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50 atoms long. Linkers may be substituted with various substituents including, but not limited to, hydrogen atoms, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynl, amino, alkylamino, dialkylamino, trialkylamino, hydroxyl, alkoxy, halogen, aryl, heterocyclic, aromatic heterocyclic, cyano, amide, carbamoyl, carboxylic acid, ester, thioether, alkylthioether, thiol, and ureido groups. Those of skill in the art will recognize that each of these groups may in turn be substituted. Examples of linkers include, but are not limited to, pH-sensitive linkers, protease cleavable peptide linkers, nuclease sensitive nucleic acid linkers, lipase sensitive lipid linkers, glycosidase sensitive carbohydrate linkers, hypoxia sensitive linkers, photo-cleavable linkers, heat-labile linkers, enzyme cleavable linkers (e.g., esterase cleavable linker), ultrasound-sensitive linkers, and x-ray cleavable linkers.
Polymer Resins
A variety of compositions are provided suitable for additive manufacturing, e.g. stereolithographic printing, resin printing, 3D printing, vat photopolymerization or UV-DIW as the terms are used essentially interchangeably herein. In particular a variety of polymeric resins are provided suitable for the stereolithographic printing of thermoplastics, e.g. aromatic and insoluble thermoplastics with exceptional thermal stability and mechanical properties.
In some aspects, a polymer resin for vat photopolymerization or UV-DIW is provided including a polyamic acid salt comprising repeat units having a structure according to the following formula
where each occurrence of R″ comprises a photocrosslinkable group; where each occurrence of R is independently selected from the group consisting of H, substituted and unsubstituted alkyl, substituted and unsubstituted heteroalkyl, and substituted and unsubstituted alkenyl; where each occurrence of Ar is independently selected from the group
In some aspects, each occurrence of X is a substituted or unsubstituted aryl or heteroaryl group. In some aspects, each occurrence of Y is independently selected from the group consisting of O, S, C═O, C(CF3)2, C(CH3)2, SO2, and C≡C.
The resin composition can include a photoinitiator suitable for initiating crosslinking of the photocrosslinkable groups when exposed to a light source of a suitable wavelength and intensity and a suitable solvent.
In some aspects, each occurrence of X is selected from the group
In some aspects, each occurrence of R″ is selected from the group
In some aspects, a polymer resin for vat photopolymerization is provided including (i) a polyamic acid salt formed from the addition of a photocrosslinkable amine to a polyamic acid; (ii) a photoinitiator suitable for initiating crosslinking of the photocrosslinkable amine when exposed to a light source of a suitable wavelength and intensity; and (iii) a suitable solvent.
In some aspects, the photocrosslinkable amine is selected from the following group where each occurrence of R1 is independently —H or —CH3; where each occurrence of R2 is independently —H, —CH3, or —CH2CH3; and where each occurrence of R3 and R4 is independently —H, an aliphatic group, or an aromatic group.
In some aspects, the polyamic acid is formed by the addition of a diamine to a dianhydride in a suitable precursor solvent. In some aspects, the polyamic acid is an isolated polyamic acid. An isolated polyamic acid can be one that isolated from the solvent in which it is formed prior to using it to from the polyamic acid salt. The formed polyamic acid can be isolated from the precursor solvent by precipitating the formed polyamic acid into a nonsolvent, filtering off the formed polyamic acid, drying the formed polyamic acid, and redissolving the formed polyamic acid in a suitable solvent. In some aspects, the polyamic acid is a non-isolated polyamic acid. A non-isolated polyamic acid is one that is not isolated from the suitable precursor solvent prior to being used to form the polyamic acid salt described herein. The viscosity of the polyamic acid, and thus the viscosity of the resulting polymer resin described herein can be altered by the synthetic history of the polyamic acid. Isolating the polyamic acid prior to its use to form a polymer resin described herein results in a lower viscosity polyamic acid and lower viscosity polymeric resin then if the polyamic acid is not isolated prior to its use to form a polymeric resin described herein. The isolated polyamic acid can be suitable for use in forming polymeric resins having viscosities suitable for vat printing or SLA. The non-isolated polyamic acid can be suitable for use in forming polymeric resins having viscosities suitable for direct ink writing techniques such as UV-DIW, which utilize higher viscosity inks.
In some aspects, the polyamic acid is formed from the addition of a diamine to a dianhydride in a suitable precursor solvent, where the polyamic acid is isolated from the suitable solvent prior to forming the polyamic acid salt. In some aspects, the polyamic acid salt formed from the isolated polyamic acid salt is used to form a polymer resin for SLA or other vat 3D printing techniques. The viscosity of the isolated polyamic acid can range from about 1 Pa·s to 100 Pa·s
In some aspects, the polyamic acid is formed from the addition of a diamine to a dianhydride in a suitable precursor solvent, where the polyamic acid is not isolated from the suitable solvent prior to forming the polyamic acid salt. In some aspects, the polyamic acid salt formed from the non-isolated polyamic acid salt is used to form a polymer resin for UV-DIW or other direct-writing 3D printing techniques. The viscosity of the non-isolated polyamic acid can range from about 200 Pa·s to 400 Pa·s
The diamine used during formation of a polyamic acid (whether subsequently isolated or not) can be one selected from the group
The dianhydride used during formation of a polyamic acid (whether subsequently isolated or not) can be selected from the group
The suitable precursor solvent can be selected from the group of: N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), dimethylacetamide (DMAC), dimethylformamide (DMF), y-butyrolactone, mixtures with hydrocarbon solvents/aromatic hydrocarbon solvents, water, ammonia, and mixtures thereof. In some aspects, the suitable precursor solvent is N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP).
The polymer resin can include a polyamic acid salt, having a number average molecular weight of about 20000 g/mol to about 100000 g/mol, about 20000 g/mol to about 80000 g/mol, about 40000 g/mol to about 80000 g/mol, about 40000 g/mol to about 60000 g/mol, about 20000 g/mol to about 60000 g/mol, or about 30000 g/mol to about 70000 g/mol. In some aspects, the polyamic acid salt thereof has a polydispersity of about 3, about 2.5, about 2, about 1.8, about 1.6, or less. In some aspects, the photocrosslinkable groups have a thermal decomposition temperature of about 400° C., about 350° C., about 300° C., about 250° C., or less. In some aspects, the photocrosslinkable groups include an acrylate, a methacrylate, or a combination thereof. In some aspects, upon drying the resin and heating to a temperature of about 200° C. to 350° C. the polyamic diacrylate ester or salt thereof undergoes thermal imidization to form a polyimide. In some aspects, the polyamic diacrylate ester or salt thereof is present at an amount of about 5 wt % to about 50 wt %, about 5 wt % to about 40 wt %, about 10 wt % to about 40 wt %, about 10 wt % to about 50 wt %, about 20 wt % to about 40 wt %, or about 20 wt % to about 50 wt % based upon a total weight of the polymer resin.
In some aspects, the photoinitiator is a phosphine oxide such as phenylbis(2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl)phosphine. The suitable wavelength can include, for example about 300 nm to 500 nm, about 350 nm to 500 nm, about 350 nm to 450 nm, or about 300 nm to 450 nm. In some instances, the photoinitiator is present in an amount from about 1.5 wt % to about 5 wt % based upon a total weight of the polymer resin.
The resins can also include a suitable UV blocker. For example, the UV blocker can include UV blockers such as benzophenones, benzotriazoles, diazines and triazines, benzoates, oxalanilide, azobenzones, metal oxides (zinc oxide, titanium dioxide). In some aspects, the UV blocker is present in an amount from 0.1% to 3% by weight based upon the total weight of the polymer resin. In some aspects, the UV blocker is present in an amount from 0% to 3% by weight based upon the total weight of the polymer resin. Examples of UV blockers can include 4-nitrophenol, 2,5-Bis(5-tert-butyl-benzoxazol-2-yl)thiophene, 2-hydroxy-4-methoxy benzophenone, 1-(4-Methoxyphenyl)-3-(4-tert-butylphenyl)propane-1,3-dione, disodium 2,2′-(1,4-phenylene)bis(6-sulfo-1H-benzimidazole-4-sulfonate), Hexyl 2-[4-(diethylamino)-2-hydroxybenzoyl]benzoate, Menthyl-o-aminobenzoate, 2,2′-[6-(4-methoxyphenyl)-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diyl] bis{5-[(2-ethylhexyl)oxy]phenol}, 2,4-dihydroxybenzophenone, 2,2′,4,4′-tetrahydroxybenzophenone, 4-Hydroxy-2-methoxy-5-(oxo-phenylmethyl)benzenesulfonic acid, 2,2′-dihydroxy-4,4′-dimethoxybenzophenone, 5-chloro-2-hydroxybenzophenone, (2-Hydroxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-(2-hydroxyphenyl)methanone, sodium 2,2′-dihydroxy-4,4′-di methoxybenzophenone-5,5′-disulfonate, (2-Hydroxy-4-methoxyphenyl)(4-methylphenyl)methanone, “(2-hydroxy-4-octoxy-phenyl)-phenyl-methanone, 2-(1,2,3-Benzotriazol-2-yl)-4-methyl-6-[2-methyl-3-(2,2,4,6,6-pentamethyl-3,5-dioxa-2,4,6-trisilaheptan-4-yl)propyl]phenol, Terephthalylidene dicamphor sulfonic acid, 2-ethylhexyl 2-cyano-3,3-diphenyl-2-propenoate, Diethylhexyl butamido triazone, 2-Ethoxyethyl 3-(4-methoxyphenyl)propenoate, Isopentyl 4-methoxycinnamate, 2,2′-methanediylbis[6-(2H-benzotriazol-2-O-4-(2,4,4-trimethylpentan-2-yl)phenol], 2-(2H-Benzotriazol-2-yl)-4-(1,1,3,3-tetramethylbutyl)phenol, 2,2′-Methylenebis[6-(2H-benzotriazol-2-yl)-4-(1,1,3,3-tetramethylbutyl)phenol], 2-Hydroxy-4-(octyloxy)benzophenone, 2-ethyl-, 2-[4-(4,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl)-3-hydroxyphenoxy]ethyl ester, 2-tert-Butyl-6-(5-chloro-2H-benzotriazol-2-yl)-4-methylphenol, 2-(2-Hydroxy-5-methylphenyl)benzotriazole, 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine, N-(4-ethoxycarbonylphenyl)-N′-methyl-N′-phenylformamidine, Hexadecyl 3,5-bis-tert-butyl-4-hydroxybenzoate, and 2-Ethyl-2′-ethoxy-oxalanilide.
The viscosity of the polymer resin for vat printing or SLA can be less than 100 Pa·s, less than 50 Pa·s, less than 25 Pa·s, less than 20 Pa·s, less than 18 Pa·s, less than 15 Pa·s, less than 10 Pa·s, or less than 5 Pa·s. The viscosity of the polymer resin for UV-DIW can be greater than 400 Pa·s. The viscosity of the polymer resin for UV-DIW can be between 400 and 1,000 Pa·s. The viscosity of the polymer resin core UV-DIW between 700 and 1,000 Pa·s.
Synthetic Strategies
Photo-crosslinkable moieties can be introduced by addition of photo-crosslinkable amines to polyamic acids, forming photo-curable polyamic acid salts. Importantly, this strategy has no limit regarding the molecular weight range of the polyamic acid. A general synthetic strategy is presented in the following scheme (Scheme 3). Note that for clarity, a 1:I ratio of crosslinkable amine to COOH of the polyamic acid is shown in Scheme 3. However, UV-crosslinkable amines can also be applied in excess or alternatively, COOH groups can be present in excess. Suitable solvents are typical solvents for polyamic acids/polyimides such as NMP, DMAC (dimethylacetamide), DMF (dimethylformamide), ybutyrolactone, mixtures of such or mixtures with hydrocarbon solvents/aromatic hydrocarbon solvents (e.g. xylene, trichlorobenzene). Alternatively, water or ammonia (aq.) can be used as solvent,
In some aspects, Ar can be one or more combinations of the following dianhydrides:
In some aspects, X can be one or more combinations of the following diamines
In some instances, the molecular weight can be controlled by stochiometric imbalance, meaning using excess of dianhydride or diamine or by using mono-functional anhydrides or amines of the following structure:
where the amines (NRR′R″) bearing a photo-curable unit can be one or more combinations of the following or a mixture of the following and non-reactive amines, such as aliphatic amines or aromatic amines, e.g. triethylamine, ethanolamine or ammonia. In general, any photo-curable amine can result in a suitable reaction, ranging from vinyl ethers, epoxides, oxetanes, (meth)acrylates to vinyl-compounds.
Significantly, amines bearing allyl or alkyne groups are suitable in combination with thiols, enabling light-initiated crosslinking via thiol-ene or thiol-yne reaction. In addition, a 1:1 ratio of COOH groups in the polyamic acid to UV-curable amine is not necessary. Amines can be applied in excess or COOH groups can be in excess.
where are R3 and R4 are either the same or different and are aliphatic or aromatic
Suitable photoinitiators absorb light at the irradiation wavelength and can be of Type I or Type II, while Type II photoinitiators require a co-initiator. In particular, TPO and PPO are suitable photoinitiators. Alternative examples are TPO Li (lithium phenyl-2,4,6-trimethylbenzoylphosphinate)9 or thioxanthone based photoinitiators. Suitable initiators for amino-functional epoxides, oxetanes or vinyl ethers are photoacid generators which are well-known to enable cationic photopolymerization, e.g. aryl iodonium photoacids. The latter can also be combined with a suitable dye to extend the workable wavelength
The photo-induced crosslinking of the polyamic acid salt solution in the vat of the SLA converts the solution into a solid part at the sections where it is exposed to the light source. After washing the printed part in an appropriate solvent or solvent mixture to remove non-crosslinked polymer (e.g. NMP or ybutyrolactone), post-processing of the 3D printed part by thermal or chemical imidization converts the crosslinked precursor to the polyimide which is schematically shown for an acrylate containing crosslinking agent (Scheme 4). Importantly, aliphatic crosslinkers can be completely removed/released by heating the polymer to high enough temperatures. However, the polymer can also be heated to lower temperatures, enabling imidization but the crosslinker remains partially in the polymer. The latter can be beneficial for certain applications or materials properties.
In aspects where a polymer resin suitable for UV-DIW is used, photo-induced crosslinking of the polyamic acid salt solution occurs as the solution is exposed to an appropriate wavelength of light as the polyamic acid salt solution is disposed on a printing surface or another layer. As discussed and demonstrated elsewhere herein, post-processing of the 3D printed part by thermal or chemical imidization converts the crosslinked precursor to the polyimide which is schematically shown for an acrylate containing crosslinking agent (Scheme 10). Importantly, aliphatic crosslinkers can be completely removed/released by heating the polymer to high enough temperatures. However, the polymer can also be heated to lower temperatures, enabling imidization but the crosslinker remains partially in the polymer. The latter can be beneficial for certain applications or materials properties.
Significantly, this reaction is not limited to polyamic acids but is rather applicable to any polymer bearing an acidic or negatively charged functional group, e.g. sulfonic acid or carboxylic acid groups. The photo-curable molecule does not have to be an amine, but can be consisting of any functional group which interacts electrostatically with the negatively charged polymer and which also contains a photocurable group. In addition, it is possible to exchange both functionalities, meaning a polymer bearing a cationic or alkaline functional group and utilizing a negatively charged photo-curable molecule which interacts electrostatically with the positively charged polymer backbone. The following shows a few examples of suitable photo-curable units.
Overall, this strategy is valid for any polymeric system which interacts electrostatically with a photosensitive small molecule, or a photo-sensitive oligomer/polymer. The following shows examples of suitable polymers, including sulfonated polyether ether ketone, sulfonated polystyrene or polyallylamine.
Most important, the crosslinks do not have to be removed from the polymer network and can remain in the latter. One having ordinary skill in the art can prepare these polymers using step-growth polymerization or chain-growth polymerization.
Extension of the Strategy to the 3D Printing of Polybenzoxazoles
Polyimides can be used as precursor polymers and thermally rearranged to form polybenzoxazoles.12 This thermal rearrangement only occurs if aromatic diamine monomers having hydroxyl groups adjacent to the amino groups. For example, 3,3′-dihydroxy-4,4′-diamines are utilized in the synthesis of the polyimide. The conversion of a polyimide to polybenzoxazole occurs upon heating the polyimide to −400° C. (Scheme 5).
Polybenzoxazoles obtained from thermally rearranged polyimides are generally utilized in the field of gas separation and permeation due to a combination of their superior mechanical properties, high chemical thermal stabilities and high selectivity for specific gases. Thermal rearrangement of the 3D printed polyimide offers an easy route for preparing polybenzoxazoles.
While the various aspects described herein are exemplary, variations to these aspects can include (but are not limited to) individual elements or combinations of the following:
1. Use of a light source with different UV wavelengths
2. Use of coherent source of light (Laser, LED)
3. Top-Down fabrication setup (as demonstrated) or bottom-up setup
4. Recoating with the use of a blade, Zephyr Blade, spraying/controlled deposition of resin by inducing relative motion between the build-substrate and the resin (can be in the same chamber or a disconnected chamber)
5. Use of Stationary Mask projection stereolithography or holographic projection techniques.
6. Use of any optical/digital magnification during part fabrication
7. Use of other dynamic masking devices i.e. Liquid Crystal based dynamic mask, Liquid
Crystal over Silicon, Digital Micro-mirror devices of any size and actuation strategy
8. Use of other actuation strategies such as belt driven gantry, electro-magnetic actuators, pneumatic and hydraulic actuators and galvanometers for moving the projected light and resin relative to each other.
9. Use of heated, ventilated or controlled environments during fabrication, e.g. argon or nitrogen atmosphere.
Now having described the embodiments of the present disclosure, in general, the following Examples describe some additional embodiments of the present disclosure. While embodiments of the present disclosure are described in connection with the following examples and the corresponding text and figures, there is no intent to limit embodiments of the present disclosure to this description. On the contrary, the intent is to cover all alternatives, modifications, and equivalents included within the spirit and scope of embodiments of the present disclosure.
Materials.
Pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA), 4,4′-oxydianiline (ODA), 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl acrylate (DMAEA), 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl macrylate (DMAEMA) and diphenyl(2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl) phosphine oxide (TPO) and phenylbis(2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl)phosphine oxide (PPO) were purchased from Sigma-Aldrich. 4,4′-oxydianiline (ODA) was sublimed before use. N-methyl pyrrolidinone (anhydrous) was received from Acros. Poly(pyromellitic dianhydride-co-4,4′-oxydianiline) amic acid solution (Pyre-M.L.® RC-5019) in NMP (15-16 wt. %) was purchased from Sigma Aldrich and used without further purification. TPO Li was synthesized in analogy to a literature procedure.9 All PAA salts were stored in the dark at −20° C.
Instrumentation.
1H NMR spectra (400 MHz) were recorded using an Agilent U4-DD2 spectrometer equipped with a 96 sample robot. All spectra are referenced internally to residual proton signals of the deuterated solvent. Viscosities of PAA and PAA salt solutions were determined using a TA Instruments DHR-2 rheometer. Frequency sweeps were conducted using 40 mm parallel plates (aluminum), 1.25% oscillatory strain, and frequencies between 0.1 and 70 Hz with a gap set to 1000 μm. Photo-rheology of the solutions was performed using a TA Instruments DHR-2 rheometer equipped with a Omnicure S2000 photo-accessory (320-500 nm), Smart Swap™ UV geometry and 20 mm quartz parallel plate (bottom) and 20 mm aluminum parallel plate (top). The samples were subjected to 0.3% oscillatory strain and 10 Hz frequency. The gap distance was set to 500 μm. The samples were equilibrated for a period of 60 s, with the axial force set to ON. Irradiation started after 30 s. The intensity of the photo source was set to 250 mW/cm2. The gel time and the crossover modulus were determined from the intersection of the loss and storage modulus. 3
FTIR measurements were conducted on a Varian-670 IR spectrometer with Attenuated Total Reflectance (ATR) attachment. A Jeol NeoScope JCM-5000 Scanning Electron Microscope was used to analyze the surface and the cross-section of 3D printed parts. For higher resolution, a LEO (Zeiss) 1550 microscope equipped with Schottky field-emission gun and in-lens secondary electron detector operated at 5 keV was used. Before imaging, samples were directly mounted on sample holders and sputter-coated with a 10 nm thick coating of Pt—Pd metal.
A custom scanning-mask projection vat-photopolymerization (S-MPVP) machine was used with a build size of 250×250 mm and a feature resolution of 70 μm (
The STL file of a honeycomb lattice was sliced into bitmaps of 200 μm layer thickness using Netfabb®. A custom MATLAB program generated a moving mask for each layer and the corresponding scan speed based on the exposure time estimated from the working curves. A glass vat filled with resin was loaded into the build area. Glass slides were attached to the build platform to enhance the adhesion between the printed parts and the substrate. The projector traversed over the resin surface while projecting the moving mask over the resin. Recoating was performed by lowering the build stage into the resin vat. After a brief pause for resin settling, a recoating blade smoothened meniscus over the build platform, ensuring a smooth and level resin surface for fabrication of the consequent layers. This process continued until the entire part was fabricated. During fabrication, the linear stages, the projector and the recoating mechanism are actively monitored and controlled using a custom Lab VIEW program. Printing can be conducted under Argon or N2 atmosphere or under air. The printed parts, extracted from the build platform, were rinsed with an appropriate solvent (e.g. y-butyrolactone or NMP) and placed on a metal mesh to ensure uniform drying.
A Blue Wave® 75 UV spot curing lamp (Dymax: 40078) with intensity adjustment was selected as the source of ultraviolet light. A single pole lightguide (Dymax: 5721) was used to transmit light from the UV light source to the projector. A UV mirror (Thor Labs: PFSQ20-03-F01) was seated inside the projector to relay the light from the light guide to the dynamic mask. The projector was equipped with a Texas Instruments DLP™ 0.65 DMD with a rectangular array of 1920×1080 square micro-mirrors with a pitch and side of 7.56 μm. Imaging lenses (Thor Labs: LA4078-UV, LA4545-UV) were suitable placed in the projection path to achieve a magnification of 4.2, producing a projection area of size 61×34 mm at the surface of the resin. The projection system was mounted on cross-mounted high-load, high-precision linear stages (Zaber: A-LST0500A-E01) for traversing in the XY plane. A high-precision linear stage (Zaber: A-LST0250A-E01) was used for the Z motion. The build platform was fabricated using thermoplastic filament extrusion and attached to the Z-stage. A custom glass vat of size 150×150 mm contained the resin and built platform during part manufacturing. A recoating blade, attached to the X-Y linear stage, ensured uniform coating of resin on the build platform.
Synthesis of PMDA-ODA Salt
The following example describes the synthesis of a PMDA-ODA polyamic acid with targeted molecular weight of Mn=30000 g·mol−1. A 500 mL three-neck round bottom flask was equipped with a mechanical stirrer, a septum and a nitrogen inlet. Under nitrogen atmosphere, 150 mL anhydrous NMP and 17.00 g 4,4′-ODA (0.085 mol) were added to the flask. After ODA was fully dissolved, 18.79 g PMDA (0.086 mol) were added and the mixture was stirred for 8 h at RT under nitrogen atmosphere. Afterwards, additional NMP (170 mL), H2O (25 mL) and 28.8 mL N,N-(Dimethyl)aminoethyl acrylate (1.1 equiv. per COOH, 0.189 mol) were added and the mixture was stirred overnight.
3D printing using SLA
0.5 g TPO photo-initiator (1.5 wt. %) was dissolved in 1 mL NMP, added to 220 mL of the polyamic add salt solution and stirred until complete dissolution. The mixture was transferred to the vat of the SLA printer. The print was conducted at room temperature and under air.
Post-Printing Treatment and Imidization
The printed 3D objects were placed on a metal mesh, air-dried at room temperature for 24 h, followed by drying in the vacuum oven for 24 h at room temperature. Afterwards, the following heating profile was applied: 2 h-24 h at 60° C. (heating rate of 1.5° C. per min), heating to 100 and hold for 30 min, heating to 150° C. and hold for 30 min and then heating to 200° C. and hold for 30 min. Subsequently, the part was transferred to a different oven and heated to 350° C. (hold for 30 min) under N atmosphere.
Synthesis of PMDA-ODA Polyamic Acid
The synthesis of PI\1DA-ODA polyamic acid was performed as described in Example 1. However, after 12 h polymerization time, the polyamic acid was isolated by precipitation in an ice-cold mixture of methanol/water (50:50). A blender was used to break apart larger polymeric clumps. Subsequently, the PMDA-ODA polyamic acid was filtered off and washed three times with a methanol/water mixture. Afterwards, the product was dried in a vacuum oven for 24-72 h at 60° C. and stored in a desiccator.
Preparation of PMDA-ODA Polyamic Acid Salt
For SLA, dried polyamic acid was dissolved in NMP. Subsequently, DMAEA (1.1 eq per COOH group of polyamic acid) and water were added and the mixture was stirred overnight. The NMP/water ratio was 13:1 and polyamic acid/DMAEA content in solution was 15 wt. %.
3D Printing Using SLA
Photoinitiator (1.5 wt. % dissolved in NMP) was added to the mixture and after complete dissolution, the solution was transferred to the vat of the SLA set-up.
Post-Printing Treatment and Imidization
Post-processing was conducted in analogy to Example 1.
Synthesis of PMDA-ODA Polyamic Acid Salt
The PAA solution in NMP was added to a round bottom flask. Subsequently, water and DMAEA (0.5 eq per COOR-group in the precursor polymer) were added and the mixture was stirred until a homogeneous solution was obtained (12 h).
3D Printing Using SLA
3D printing using SLA was performed as described in Example 1.
Post-Printing Treatment and Imidization
Post-processing was conducted in analogy to Example 1.
Synthesis of PMDA-ODA Salt
PMDA-ODA polyamic acid was synthesized as described in Example 1, Example 2 or Example 3. But, only 0.5 equiv. DMAEA (0.5 equiv. per COOH of PAA) was added to the solution, followed by the respective amount of H2O.
3D Printing and post-printing treatment was conducted in analogy to Example 1.
Synthesis of PMDA-ODA Salt
PMDA-ODA polyamic acid was synthesized as described in Example 1, Example 2 or Example 3. Then, 0.5 equiv. DMAEA was added to the solution and no water was added. Consequently, a PAA DMAEA solution in NMP was obtained.
3D Printing and post-printing treatment was conducted in analogy to Example 1.
Synthesis of PMDA-ODA Salt
PMDA-ODA polyamic acid was synthesized as described in Example 1, Example, Example 3. Then, 0.5 equiv. DMAEA was added to the solution and the respective amount of water (NMP/H2O 13:1). 3D Printing and post-printing treatment was conducted in analogy to Example 1. However, instead of TPO, 1.5 wt. % PPO was utilized as photoinitiator (calculated on PAA+DMAEA).
Synthesis of PMDA-ODA Salt
PMDA-ODA polyamic acid was synthesized as described in Example 1, Example 2 or Example 3. For example, 281.2 g commercially-available PAA solution in NMP (15 wt. %) was added to a three-neck round bottom flask, equipped with a mechanical stirrer and a N2 inlet. Subsequently, 18.6 mL DMAEMA (0.5 eq per COOR-group in the PAA polymer) and 0.89 g TPO (1.5 wt. %, calculated on PAA+DMAEMA, dissolved in 0.7 mL NMP) were added to the mixture and the mixture was stirred under N2 atmosphere until a homogeneous solution was obtained (12 h). Total solids were 20 wt. %. The synthesis scheme is illustrated in Scheme 8.
3D Printing and post-printing treatment was conducted in analogy to Example 1.
Synthesis of PMDA-ODA Polyamic Acid Salt
The PAA DMAEMA (0.5 quiv.) solution was prepared as described in Example 7. However, in addition, water was added to the solution to obtain a NMP/H2O ratio of 13:1. In particular, 289.5 g commercial PAA solution in NMP (15 wt. %) was added to a three-neck round bottom flask, equipped with a mechanical stirrer and a N2 inlet. Subsequently, 19.16 mL DMAEMA (0.5 eq per COOH-group in the PAA polymer), 0.92 g TPO (1.5 wt. %, calculated on PAA DMAEMA, dissolved in 0.7 mL NMP) and 19 mL H2O were added to the mixture and the mixture was stirred under N2 atmosphere until a homogenous solution was obtained (12 h). Total solids were 19 wt. %.
3D Printing and post-printing treatment was conducted in analogy to Example 1.
Synthesis of PMDA-ODA Polyamic Acid Salt
The PAA DMAEMA solution was prepared as described in Example 7. However, instead of adding 0.5 equiv. DMAEMA to the PAA solution in NMP, 1 equiv. DMAEMA was added. For example, 300 g commercial PAA solution in NMP (15 wt. %) was added to a three-neck round-bottomed flask, equipped with a mechanical stirrer and a N2 inlet. Subsequently, 39.7 mL DMAEMA (1 eq per COOR-group in the PAA polymer) and 1.23 g TPO (1.5 wt. %, calculated on PAA+DMAEMA, dissolved in 1 mL NMP) were added to the mixture and the mixture was stirred under N2 atmosphere until a homogenous solution was obtained (12 h). Total solids were 24.5 wt. %. 3D Printing and post-printing treatment was conducted in analogy to Example 1.
Synthesis of PMDA-ODA Polyamic Acid
PMDA-OD A polyamic acids can be synthesized as described in Examples 1-9. After the PMDA-OD A PAA salt is formed, it is precipitated into acetone. The precipitated PMDA-ODA salt is filtered-off, washed three times with acetone and dried in vacuum for 24 h. The material was stored in a desiccator at room temperature. Before 3D printing, the precipitated PMDA-OD A salt was re-dissolved in NMP and the respective amount of photoinitiator (TPO) was added to the solution.
3D Printing and post-printing treatment was conducted in analogy to Example 1.
Synthesis of PMDA-ODA Polyamic Acid
PMDA-OD A polyamic acid synthesis was performed as described in Example 2.
Preparation of PMDA-ODA Polyamic Acid Salt
Per carboxyl-group in the precursor polymer, 0.6 eq DMAEMA and 0.5 eq NH.OH were added to a round bottom flask and dissolved in water. Subsequently the dried polyamic acid was added and the mixture was stirred until complete dissolution. Polyamic acid/NH.OH/DMAEMA content in water was 15 wt. %.
3D Printing Using SLA and Post-Treatment of 3D Printed Parts
Photoinitiator (1.5 wt % TPO Li) was added to the mixture and after complete dissolution, the solution was transferred to the vat of the SLA set-up.
Post-Printing Treatment and Imidization
Post-processing was conducted in analogy to Example 1.
Preparation of PMDA-ODA Polyamic Acid Salt
The PAA salt solution was prepared as described in Example 11, but instead of DMAEMA, DMAEA was utilized as UV-curable amine.
3D Printing Using SLA and Post-Treatment of 3D Printed Parts
Photoinitiator (1.5 wt % TPO Li) was added to the mixture and after complete dissolution, the solution was transferred to the vat of the SLA set-up.
Post-Printing Treatment and Imidization
Post-processing was conducted in analogy to Example 1.
Preparation of PMDA-ODA Polyamic Acid Salt
PAA salt solutions were prepared as described in Examples 1-12.
3D Printing Using SLA
3D Printing was conducted as described in Examples 1-12. However, instead of printing under air, this time, the printing was conducted under argon atmosphere using a constant argon flow during the print.
Post-Printing Treatment and Imidization.
Post-printing treatment and imidization was conducted as described in Example 1.
Preparation of PMDA-ODA Polyamic Acid Salt
PAA salt solutions were prepared as described in Examples 1-13.
3D Printing Using SLA
3D printing was conducted as described in Examples 1-13.
Post-Printing Treatment and Imidization
Post-printing was conducted as described in Example 1, but after heating the sample to 350° C., the temperature was raised to 450° C. and held for another 30 min under N2 atmosphere. The sample was removed from the oven after the oven was cooled down to room temperature.
Preparation of PMDA-ODA Polyamic Acid Salt
PAA salt solutions were prepared as described in Examples 1-13.
3D Printing Using SLA
3D printing was conducted as described in Examples 1-13.
Post-Printing Treatment and Imidization
Post-printing was conducted as described in Example 1, but after heating the sample to 350° C., the temperature was raised to 400° C. and held for another 30 min under N2 atmosphere. The sample was removed from the oven after the oven was cooled down to room temperature.
Preparation of PMDA-ODA Polyamic Acid Salt
PAA DMAEMA salt solutions were prepared as described in Examples 7. The solution was stored at −20° C. in the dark for 1 month before 3D printing.
3D Printing Using SLA
3D printing was conducted as described in Examples 1-13.
Post-Printing Treatment and Imidization.
Post-printing treatment and imidization was conducted as described in Example 15.
Additive manufacturing (AM), or 3D printing processes create customized, complex three-dimensional components via a layer-wise fabrication approach.1 Although rapidly growing, industrial adoption of AM is stymied by a limited selection of processable high-temperature engineering polymers.2 The current library of polymers were optimized for traditional manufacturing processes (e.g., molding and extrusion processes), but are not necessarily well-suited for the unique physics of the layer-by-layer nature of AM processes and their rapid nonhomogeneous kinetics. As such, polymers must be adapted to work within the physics of AM processes. In particular, high-performance polymers need to be modified to be utilized in AM due to their high or nonexistent flow temperatures and low solubility. While researchers developed strategies to 3D print high-performance polymers, such as poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK),3 poly(phenylene sulfide),4 and thermoplastic poly(ether imide)s,5 sparse attention has been devoted to the AM of all-aromatic, nonmelt processable Pls.6-8
Poly(4,4′-oxidiphenylene pyromellitimide) (PMDA-ODA) PI has been developed in the 1960s and is commercially known by the trade name Kapton. It is one of the highest performing polymers due to its excellent mechanical strength over a temperature range of −269° C. to +400° C.9 Its all-aromatic chemical structure provides chemical and UV-irradiation resistance and nonflammability, which render it attractive for aerospace and defense applications.9 Its low dissipation factors and low dielectric constant also make it well-suited for electronic applications.9 Although the all-aromatic structure imparts outstanding properties to PMDA-ODA PI, its lack of sufficient melt flow and insolubility in organic solvents precludes traditional manufacturing (e.g., molding, casting, extrusion). Traditionally, PMDA-ODA PI is processed in the nonimidized polyamic acid (PAA) form. PAA is dissolved in an aprotic polar solvent, casted on a substrate and thermally imidized to yield the nonsoluble PI.10 This solvent-based fabrication pairs the PI parts with an inherent 2D form factor. Three-dimensional PMDA-ODA PI parts are accessible, but require high-temperature sintering processes, which restricts part of the design.10,11
These challenges have made AM of all-aromatic PIs elusive. To date, only few reports have addressed AM of PMDA-ODA PI. One utilized inkjet printing to manufacture thin insulating layers for capacitors, but the process was incapable of forming 3D structures.8 Modified PMDA-ODA PAA for vat photopolymerization (VP). has been generated8,7 VP, also known as stereolithography, utilizes a vat that is filled with a liquid photoresin. Subsequent patterned UV irradiation selectively cures the photoresin, to create a 3D part layer-by-layer.12 Inspired by photosensitive polyimides used in photolithographic processes to produce thin patterned films for the microelectronics industry,13 our group synthesized a resin consisting of a photo cross-linkable polyimide precursor, polyamic diacrylate ester (PADE).6 Leveraging VP to produce 3D parts, selective UV-irradiation of the PADE solution induced cross-linking of the acrylate groups and yielded an organogel. Subsequent drying and heating removed the solvent, promoted thermal degradation of the aliphatic cross-links, and converted the PADE to PMDA-ODA PI. Because of the rather time-consuming synthesis of PADE, we also successfully demon-strated photocurable PAA 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacry-late (DMAEMA) salt solutions as alternative photoresins for use in VP.7 However, viscosity limitations imposed by VP restricted resin rheology, and thus solids loading of the polymer precursor.14,15 To circumvent the viscosity constraints imposed by VP, afford the opportunity to print multiple materials in a single part, and reduce the amount of resin required to print, the authors look to direct ink write (DIW).
DIW is an additive manufacturing technique that selectively extrudes material by applying pressure to an ink, forcing it through a nozzle and onto a substrate to create a three-dimensional part.12 For successful 3D printing via DIW, the material must be extrudable through a nozzle and, once deposited, rapidly solidify to retain its shape.12 Several solidification mechanisms exist: (i) inks possessing a yield stress, meaning that the ink rapidly solidifies upon release of shear-stress,16 (ii) solvent evaporation,17 and (iii) gelation.18 Ultraviolet-assisted direct ink write (UV-DIW) is a subcategory of DIW, which utilizes UV-irradiation to cross-link the extruded photopolymer resins during printing to induce gelation and shape retention after ink placement.19 One advantage of UV-DIW over VP and inkjet material jetting AM processes is the ability to deposit a wide range of viscoelastic materials with viscosities in excess of 10 000 Pa·s.14,16 In addition, integration of multiple DIW systems into one printer enables simultaneous deposition of multiple materials into a single printed part, which enables manufacture of complex devices, such as soft robots and batteries.20,21
This work exploits UV-DIW to additively manufacture PMDA-ODA polyimide parts (
The strategy to AM PMDA-ODA PI using VP leveraged the solubility of PMDA-ODA polyamic acid (PAA).7 The addition of an amino-functional methacrylate (DMAEMA) to a PAA solution rendered a photo-cross-linkable PAA DMAEMA salt solution (15 wt % PI solids), where the protonated DMAEMA interacted electro-statically with the partially deprotonated PAA. Selective layer-wise photocuring in VP system produced an organogel. Drying and heating released the solvent, promoted thermal degradation of the aliphatic cross-links and induced imidization to convert the organogel to the all-aromatic PMDA-ODA PI. The VP systems used low solution viscosities of the resins, thus limiting their synthesis and formulation. In addition, the VP systems need a vat filled with resin, which increases the amount of material required and does not readily enable the deposition of multimaterial parts.
In this Example, high viscosity resins, facilitate multimaterial printing, and reduce material usage, UV-DIW was as a printing technique. Similar to VP, UV-DIW required an ink with a short gel time, but contrary to VP, it used high solution viscosities and shear-thinning flow behavior. Utilizing the PAA DMAEMA salt strategy, to obtain high viscosity resins, the solids of the PAA solution were increased to generate an ink for UV-DIW. However, this approach failed. The dissolution of PAA in NMP and addition of DMAEMA (0.5 equiv. per COOH) rendered a solution with 24 wt % PI solids, e.g., a solution with 9 wt % higher PI solids compared to the VP photoresin (
Instead of increasing the PI solid content of the ink, the unusual solution viscosities of polyamic acids was leveraged. The solution viscosities of PAAs depend strongly on their synthetic history. In particular, the viscosity of a PAA NMP solution is much higher if utilized directly after polymerization than if the PAA is precipitated from the reaction medium (NMP) into a nonsolvent, filtered off, dried and redissolved. For example, step-growth polymerization of PMDA and ODA in NMP afforded a PAA with 16 wt % PI solids, which possessed an initial zero-shear rate solution viscosity of 270 Pa s. In contrast, after precipitation of the PAA in a methanol/water mixture, drying and redissolution in NMP, the viscosity of the PAA solution dropped to 0.9 Pa·s, which is more than two orders-of-magnitude lower (
The decreased UV-absorbance of nonisolated PAAs and their increased solution viscosities inspired exploitation of nonisolated PAAs as precursors for UV-DIW of polyimides. Step-growth polymerization of excess dianhydride (e.g., PMDA) and diamine (e.g., ODA) yielded a PAA with a targeted number-average molecular weight (Mn) of 50 kg mol−1 and dianhydride end groups (Scheme (10)).
A representative nonisolated PAA solution (precursor) consisted of 17.8 wt % PI solids (
A custom-built UV-DIW printer enabled AM of the ink (PAA DMAEMA salt solution). Deposition and subsequent UV curing of each layer yielded a self-supporting three-dimensional organogel that retained its shape even under the weight of subsequent layers (
Furthermore, fast gelation and mechanical integrity of the printed lines enabled AM of self-supporting features, with lines spanning gaps of 1.5 mm over the underlying layer. In particular, the print of simple cubic structures (SC-structures), evenly spaced parallel lines that were rotated by 90° every two layers, highlighted the self-supporting ability of the ink (
Removal of the cured organogel from the print substrate and subsequent hanging from a thin wire allowed for uniform evaporation of the solvent. A detailed drying and heating procedure removed all solvent, triggered thermal degradation of the aliphatic cross-links (PDMAEMA) and induced imidization to afford the all-aromatic PI (Scheme (10)). Solvent removal, pyrolysis of the PDMAEMA cross-links, and imidization induced an isotropic dimensional shrinkage of about 45%, which translated to a weight loss of about 83% and confirmed a PI solid loading of about 17% (
Dynamical mechanical analysis (DMA) of a printed AM specimen confirmed outstanding thermome-chanical properties up to 400° C., performing similarly to commercial Kapton film (
In brief summary, UV-direct ink write described in this Example resulted in fabrication of complex 3D geometries of all-aromatic PMDA-ODA PI. PAA DMAEMA salt solutions served as UV-sensitive ink and yielded the PMDA-ODA PI upon heating and imidization. In particular, nonisolated PAA solutions provided the flow behavior needed for DIW extrusion. Extrusion and subsequent UV-illumination allowed for printing arbitrary shapes, e.g., truss and cellular structures. The short gel times of the PAA DMAEMA ink and high gel state modulus of the organogel enabled printing of self-supporting SC-structures, with lines spanning gaps of 1.5 mm in the underlying layer. Drying and heating of the 3D parts removed solvent, promoted thermal degradation of the sacrificial cross-links, and induced imidization. Although the thermal treatment resulted in 45% isotropic dimensional shrinkage and might complicate the production of complex features, part fidelity was maintained. TGA and DMA measurements demonstrated high thermal stability and good mechanical strength of 3D printed parts up to +400° C. Increased char yields of the AM PI indicated residual carbon due to pyrolysis of the PDMAEMA cross-links and photoinitiator. A more detailed analysis of the char formation and potential residual carbon in the PI is under investigation. Overall, UV-DIW of PAA DMAEMA ink possesses can be used in multimaterial 3D printing of components that are resistant to solvents, extreme temperatures, and radiation.
Materials and Methods
Materials. 4,4′-Oxydianiline, pyromellitic dianhydride, 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) and diphenyl(2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl)phosphine oxide (TPO) were purchased from Sigma Aldrich. 4,4′-Oxydianiline was sublimed before use. Anhydrous N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) over molecular sieve was received from Acros Organics.
Instrumentation. Thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) measurements were conducted using a TA instruments Q500 under nitrogen flow with heating rates of 10° C./min and sample sizes of about 15 mg. Solution viscosities of polyamic acid (PAA) and PAA DMAEMA salts in NMP were determined using a TA Instruments DHR-2 rheometer. Flow sweeps were performed at room temperature, using 40 mm disposable parallel plates (aluminum) at shear rates between 0.1 and 100 s−1 with a gap set to 1000 μm. Photorheology was conducted on the same rheometer equipped with an Omnicure S2000 photo-accessory (high-pressure mercury light source with 320-500 nm filter), Smart Swap™ UV geometry, a 20 mm aluminum upper parallel plate and a 20 mm quartz lower parallel plate. The samples were subjected to 0.3% oscillatory strain and a frequency of 1 Hz. The gap distance was set to 500 μm. The samples were equilibrated for 60 s before each measurement, with the axial force set to 0 N. UV irradiation started after 30 s and samples were exposed to UV-light (250 mW/cm2) for a total of 150 s. All measurements were conducted under air and at room temperature. The gel point and crossover modulus were determined from the intersection of the loss and storage modulus. The G′ plateau modulus was calculated by averaging the G′ values over the last 60 s (values from 120 s-180 s). Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) was conducted on a TA Instruments Q800 in an oscillatory tension mode with a heating rate of 3° C./min and a frequency of 1 Hz. Measurements were taken from 25° C. to 400° C. The UV-DIW printer consisted of a Nordson EFD Ultimus V DIW System and a Keynote Photonics LC4500-UV Digital Light Processing (DLP) projector provided UV-irradiation at 405 nm with a measured intensity of 14 mW/cm2 on the build plate (
Terminology. The used terminology in this Example is in accordance to previous work.7 PAA refers to the polyamic acid consisting of PMDA-ODA repeat units. PAA DMAEMA salt refers to the PMDA-ODA polyamic acid with added DMAEMA. The equivalents of DMAEMA are calculated in respect to the carboxyl groups of the PAA repeating unit, e.g. 0.5 equiv. DMAEMA refer to one DMAEMA per repeating unit. PAA 0.5 equiv. DMAEMA salt in NMP represented the utilized UV-sensitive ink. The used terminology in at least this Example regarding Additive Manufacturing is in accordance with ISO/ASTM 52900:2015.24
Synthesis of PMDA-ODA PAA. The following describes an example to prepare a PAA with targeted molecular weight (Mn) of 50 k g·mol-1. A 500 mL three-neck round bottom flask was equipped with a mechanical stirrer, a septum and a nitrogen inlet. Under nitrogen atmosphere, 250 mL anhydrous NMP and 40.048 g 4,4′-oxydianiline (ODA) (0.200 mol) were added to the flask. After the ODA was dissolved completely, 43.9905 g PMDA (0.20168 mol) were added to the flask via addition funnel and the funnel was rinsed with 70 mL anhydrous NMP to ensure addition of all PMDA. After stirring for 6 h, an additional 30 mL NMP (anhydrous) were added to the solution. The mixture was stirred over night at 23° C. under nitrogen atmosphere. Afterwards, the solution was transferred to a glass jar with cap, flushed with nitrogen and stored in the dark at −20° C. Note that the solution viscosity of the resulting PAA differed slightly from batch to batch.
Ink formulation (PAA 0.5 equiv. DMAEMA salt solution). As an example, 150 g of the solution (PAA dissolved in NMP, 18.9 wt %. PAA solids) was transferred to a 250 mL three-neck round bottom flask, equipped with a mechanical stirrer, a septum and a nitrogen inlet. 0.5 equiv. DMAEMA (11.43 mL) and 2.5 wt. % TPO (975 mg dissolved in 0.9 mL NMP) were added to the solution and the solution was stirred for 12 h under nitrogen atmosphere to yield a homogeneous PAA DMAEMA salt solution (UV-sensitive ink). The solution viscosities of the PAA DMAEMA salts showed slight differences due to batch variation of the synthesized PAA.
UV-DIW printing process. The various 3D geometries were deposited on glass substrates with a deposition speed of 8 mm·s-1, a 0.3 mm layer height, 0.25 mm nozzle diameter, and 620.5 kPa extruder pressure on a glass substrate. Deposited material was exposed to the UV light source for a minimum of 5 s. To print self-supporting simple cubic structures (SC-structures), parallel roads were deposited 1.5 mm apart, alternating their direction by 90° every two layers. The extruder pressure was lowered to 227.5 kPa, layer height to 0.2 mm, and the deposition speed to 2 mm·s-1 to increase the success of depositing a self-supporting bridge.
Post-printing process (solvent release and imidization). The crosslinked organogels were removed from the glass substrate and hung on a thin copper wire to enable uniform drying under air. After 1-2 days, the 3D objects were placed in a vacuum oven and heated to 60° C., held for one hour and subsequently heated to 200° C. with a heating rate of 2° C./min and held for 30 min at 200° C. After cooling to room temperature (cooling rate of 2° C./min), the objects were transferred to a furnace and heated to 400° C. under nitrogen atmosphere (heating rate of 2° C./min), held for 30 min at 400° C. and then cooled back to room temperature with a cooling rate of 2° C./min. TGA measurements confirmed successful removal of the solvent and thermal decomposition of the sacrificial crosslinks.
It should be emphasized that the above-described embodiments of the present disclosure are merely possible examples of implementations, and are set forth only for a clear understanding of the principles of the disclosure. Many variations and modifications may be made to the above-described embodiments of the disclosure without departing substantially from the spirit and principles of the disclosure. All such modifications and variations are intended to be included herein within the scope of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood upon reading the following aspects which should not be confused with the claims.
Aspect 1. A polymer resin for ultraviolet-assisted direct ink write photopolymerization, the polymer resin comprising: (i) a polyamic acid salt comprising repeat units having a structure according to the following formula
Aspect 3. The polymer resin according to any one of aspects 1-27, wherein each occurrence of R″ is selected from the group
Aspect 4. A polymer resin for ultraviolet-assisted direct ink write photopolymerization, the polymer resin comprising: (i) a polyamic acid salt formed from the addition of a photocrosslinkable amine to a polyamic acid (ii) a photoinitiator suitable for initiating crosslinking of the photocrosslinkable amine when exposed to a light source of a suitable wavelength and intensity; and (iii) a suitable solvent.
Aspect 5. The polymer resin according to any one of aspects 1-27, wherein the photocrosslinkable amine is selected from the group of
where each occurrence of R1 is independently —H or —CH3; where each occurrence of R2 is independently —H, —CH3, or —CH2CH3; and where each occurrence of R3 and R4 is independently —H, an aliphatic group, or an aromatic group.
Aspect 6. The polymer resin according to any one of aspects 1-27, wherein the polyamic acid is formed by the addition of a diamine to a dianhydride in a suitable precursor solvent and wherein the polyamic acid is not isolated from the suitable solvent prior to forming the polyamic acid salt.
Aspect 7. The polymer resin according to any one of aspects 1-27, wherein the suitable precursor solvent is selected from the group consisting of: N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), dimethylacetamide (DMAC), dimethylformamide (DMF), y-butyrolactone, mixtures with hydrocarbon solvents/aromatic hydrocarbon solvents, water, ammonia, and mixtures thereof.
Aspect 8. The polymer resin according to any one of aspects 1-27, wherein the suitable precursor solvent is N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP).
Aspect 9. The polymer resin according to any one of aspects 1-27, wherein the polyamic acid has a viscosity ranging from about 100 Pa·s to 400 Pa·s.
Aspect 10. The polymer resin according to any one of aspects 1-27, wherein the diamine is selected from the group of
Aspect 11. The polymer resin according to any one of aspects 1-27, wherein the dianhydride is selected from the group
Aspect 12. The polymer resin according to any one of aspects 1-27, wherein the polymer has an average molecular weight of about 40000 g/mol to about 60000 g/mol.
Aspect 13. The polymer resin according to any one of aspects 1-27, wherein the polymer has a polydispersity of about 2 or less.
Aspect 14. The polymer resin according to any one of aspects 1-27, wherein the photocrosslinkable groups have a thermal decomposition temperature of about 350° C. or less.
Aspect 15. The polymer resin according to any one of aspects 1-27, wherein the photocrosslinkable groups comprise an acrylate, a methacrylate, or a combination thereof.
Aspect 16. The polymer resin according to any one of aspects 1-27, wherein the suitable solvent is selected from the group consisting of N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), dimethylacetamide (DMAC), dimethylformamide (DMF), y-butyrolactone, mixtures with hydrocarbon solvents/aromatic hydrocarbon solvents, water, ammonia, and mixtures thereof.
Aspect 17. The polymer resin according to any one of aspects 1-27, wherein the suitable solvent is N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP).
Aspect 18. The polymer resin according to any one of aspects 1-27, wherein the suitable wavelength is about 300 nm to 500 nm.
Aspect 19. The polymer resin according to any one of aspects 1-27, wherein the photoinitiator is a phosphine oxide.
Aspect 20. The polymer resin according to any one of aspects 1-27, wherein the photoinitiator is phenylbis(2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl)phosphine.
Aspect 21. The polymer resin according to any one of aspects 1-27, wherein the photoinitiator is present in an amount from about 1.5 wt % to about 5 wt % based upon a total weight of the polymer resin.
Aspect 22. A polymer resin according to any one of aspects 1-27, further comprising a UV blocker.
Aspect 23. The polymer resin according to any one of aspects 1-27, wherein the UV blocker is selected from the group consisting of: a benzophenone, a benzotriazole, a diazine, a triazine, a benzoate, an oxalanilide, a azobenzone, a metal oxides, and any combination thereof.
Aspect 24. The polymer resin according to any one of aspects 1-27, wherein the UV blocker is present in an amount from 0% to 3% by weight based upon the total weight of the polymer resin.
Aspect 25. The polymer resin according to any one of aspects 1-27, wherein the viscosity of the polymer resin is greater than 400 Pa·s.
Aspect 26. The polymer resin according to any one of aspects 1-27, wherein the viscosity of the polymer resin is between 400 and 1,000 Pa·s.
Aspect 27. The polymer resin according to any one of aspects 1-26, wherein the viscosity of the polymer resin is between 700 and 1,000 Pa·s.
Aspect 28. A method of making an article, the method comprising: (a) applying an effective amount of a light to a polymer resin according to any one of aspects 1-27; (b) repeating step (a) a number of times to form the precursor article in a layer-by-layer fashion; and (c) heating the precursor article to a first elevated temperature for a period of time to form the article comprising polyimide repeat units having a structure according to the following formula
This application claims priority to, and the benefit of, co-pending U.S. provisional application entitled “ULTRAVIOLET-ASSISTED DIRECT INK WRITING TO ADDITIVELY MANUFACTURE ALL-AROMATIC POLYIMIDE PARTS” having Ser. No. 62/650,370, filed Mar. 30, 2018, the contents of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/US2019/025066 | 3/30/2019 | WO | 00 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62650370 | Mar 2018 | US |
