In a sequence of high-profile publications, scientists from the NeptunLab on the College of Freiburg, in Germany, have pushed the potential of 2-Photon Polymerisation (2PP) 3D printing past current limits. Having demonstrated their potential to print advanced platinum 3D microstructures with an astonishing sub-micron decision in 2021, this yr, the workforce succeeded in producing related buildings product of tungsten in addition to embedded microfluidic chips with single μm decision at unprecedented velocity. In all three papers, the main scientist Manuel Luitz used a NanoOne 2PP 3D printer from UpNano GmbH. Within the meantime, having efficiently recruited Luitz for UpNano, the corporate will proceed to develop the know-how.
Two main limitations for a wider software of high-resolution 2PP 3D printing are the printing velocity and the out there supplies for the required photopolymerization. Now, Manuel Luitz, throughout his time on the Laboratory of Course of Know-how (NeptunLab) on the College of Freiburg, has considerably lowered these limitations in a piece spanning a number of years. The outcomes of this work have been revealed in three successive papers, the newest of which now seems in Superior Supplies Know-how.
Chip channel cleansing
On this newest improvement, Luitz and colleagues have outlined a improvement scheme for single-micron embedded microfluidic chips utilizing the NanoOne printer. Utilizing the printer’s energy, the workforce was in a position to print a chip that may very well be related through a chip-to-world interface to a pressure-driven pump. “It is a breakthrough in microfluidic chip manufacturing as a result of one of many main obstacles to high-resolution 3D printing of microfluidic chips is washing the embedded channels freed from uncured materials. This made it attainable to supply meander chips with channel lengths of as much as 20cm, droplet generator chips, and a cell sorting chip based mostly on deterministic lateral displacement with column diameters of 30 μm and column spacing of 4 μm,” stated Manuel Luitz. “Microfluidic chips with centimeter dimensions and μm decision are thus printable in an affordable time-frame of lower than 12 hours utilizing the NanoOne.”
Tungsten
Simply earlier than that, Luitz used the NanoOne printer for a really totally different goal – one that may considerably develop the vary of supplies that may be 3D printed with 2PP. He ‘tamed’ tungsten and tungsten carbide for this high-resolution additive manufacturing course of. This was not a simple activity as each supplies are recognized for his or her excessive hardness (Mohs scale 9.0) and warmth resistance (melting level > 3,400 levels Celsius), making them tough to work with. Nonetheless, high-resolution objects created from tungsten and its carbides are in excessive demand for functions reminiscent of emitter suggestions, probes, microtools, in addition to metamaterials or catalysis.
“Utilizing a NanoOne printer, we have been in a position to design a producing course of based mostly on an organic-inorganic photoresin containing tungsten ions. The polymer elements are then thermally debound and lowered, leaving tungsten elements with a last decision of two μm and tungsten carbide elements with a decision of seven μm,” stated Manuel Luitz.
Platinum woodpile construction (left) and proven magnified (center) in addition to freestanding platinum nanopillars (proper) have been printed bei Manuel Luitz et al.
Platinum
Luitz’s success on the NeptunLab at “Institut für Mikrosystemtechnik – IMTEK” in ‘taming’ tungsten for 2PP 3D printing didn’t come out of the blue. The workforce had beforehand achieved an identical consequence with platinum, the place they have been in a position to produce free-standing nanopillars in addition to advanced 3D platinum microstructures with a decision of 300 nm. Such small buildings will discover use in varied engineering functions, together with metamaterials and catalysis, the place the big floor space and physicochemical properties of platinum are extremely fascinating.
“We’re very excited to have Manuel be part of our rising UpNano workforce,” stated Denise Hirner, COO and Co-founder of UpNano, “As a senior member of our Functions and Supplies Improvement workforce, he’ll proceed to push the boundaries of 2PP 3D printing.”
