Advanced (De)manufacturing

Additive manufacturing (AM, or 3D printing) promises tremendous geometrical freedom for unprecedented structural/functional complexity and material/energy efficiency. Our focus is to innovate polymer network design using new (de)crosslinking and understand their process-structure-property relationship through experiments and modeling, aiming to develop novel advanced (de)manufacturing techniques. We designed novel photo-thermal two-stage curable inks and leveraged the frontal photo-polymerization model to understand the light-mediated polymer network architectures. With this, we developed single-vat grayscale digital light processing (g-DLP) printing, dynamic-photomask-assisted direct ink writing (UV-DIW) printing, and hybrid DLP-DIW printing, to print biomimetic functionally graded materials and multimaterial devices. We also pioneered deep-penetration acoustic volumetric printing by designing a novel self-enhancing sonicated inks and focused ultrasound (FUS) writing technique. We studied ultrasound-matter interactions of viscoelastic fluids under MHz acoustic waves by experiments and multiphysics modeling to guide the general design of sono-inks for deep penetration, low acoustic streaming, and rapid sono-polymerization. We achieved volumetric printing of sizable opaque composite hydrogels and even through centimeter-thick tissues. The 3D printed geometry-complex structures and multifunctional devices find broad application in soft robots, biomedical devices, and tissue scaffolds for personalized/precision health.

High‐Speed 3D Printing of High‐Performance Thermosetting Polymers via Two‐Stage Curing, Macromol. Rapid. Comm. (2018); Grayscale Digital Light Processing 3D printing for Highly Functionally Graded Materials, Sci. Adv. (2019)

Novel photo-thermal dual-cure inks were developed for grayscale digital light processing (g-DLP) printed of functionally graded materials with fast speed, high resolution, broad mechanical properties gradient. Printed 3D multimaterial lattice structures showed anisotropic mechanical properties and great energy absorption.

Integrating Digital Light Processing with Direct Ink Writing for Hybrid 3D Printing of Functional Structures and Devices, Addit. Manuf. (2021)

Top-down digital light processing (DLP) printing and direct ink writing (DIW) printing were integrated into a hybrid printer for multimaterial 3D printing in single printing job. Various inks were developed to print functional polymer composites with tunable mechanical properties, enhanced interfacial bonding, and multifunctionality. A flower by DIW printed liquid crystal elastomers encapculated in DLP printed elastomer matrix show heat-triggerd reversible shape actuation.

Self-enhancing Sono-inks Enable Deep-Penetrating Acoustic Volumetric Printing. Science, (2023)

Deep-penetration acoustic volumetric printing (DAVP) was developed using an self-enhancing sono-inks and focused ultrasound (FUS) writing. The understanding of ultrasound-matter interactions by experiments and multiphysics modeling guided the general design of self-enhancing sono-inks with deep penetration, low acoustic streaming, and rapid sono-polymerization. The sono-thermal heating at the FUS focus enables fast and selective material-solidification as the building voxel. Sizable opaque composite hydrogels can be volumetrically printed without a build-platfrom even through centimeter-thick tissues.

Relevant publications (# equal contribution,* corresponding authorship) (Selected)

X. Kuang#, Q. Rong#, S. Belal#, Tri Vu, A. Lopez, N. Wang, M. O. Arıcan, M. C. E. Garciamendez-Mijares, M. Chen, J. Yao*, and Y. S. Zhang*, Self-enhancing Sono-inks Enable Deep-Penetrating Acoustic Volumetric Printing. Science, adi1563 (2023)
X. Kuang#, J. Wu #, K. Chen, Z. Zhao, Z. Ding, F. Hu, D. Fang, and H. J. Qi*, Grayscale Digital Light Processing 3D printing for Highly Functionally Graded Materials, Sci. Adv. 5, eaav5790 (2019), DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aav5790.
K. Chen#, L. Zhang#, X. Kuang*, V. Li, M. Lei, G. Kang, Z. L. Wang*, and H. J. Qi*, Dynamic Photomask-Assisted Direct Ink Writing Multimaterial for Multilevel Triboelectric Nanogenerator, Adv. Funct. Mater. 0, 1903568 (2019). DOI:10.1002/adfm.201903568.
X. Kuang, K. Chen, C. K. Dunn, J. Wu, V. C. Li, and H. J. Qi*, 3D Printing of Highly Stretchable, Shape-Memory and Self-Healing Elastomer toward Novel 4D Printing, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 10, 7381 (2018) DOI: 10.1021/acsami.7b18265.
X. Peng#, X. Kuang#, D. J. Roach, Y. Wang, C. M. Hamel, C. Lu, and H. J. Qi*, Integrating Digital Light Processing with Direct Ink Writing for Hybrid 3D Printing of Functional Structures and Devices, Addit. Manuf. 40, 101911 (2021). DOI: DOI: 10.1016/j.addma.2021.101911.
H. Younes#, X. Kuang#, D. Lou, B. DeVries, M. M. Rahman, and H. Hong*, Magnetic-field-assisted DLP stereolithography for controlled production of highly aligned 3D printed polymer-Fe3O4@graphene nanocomposites, Mater. Res. Bull. 154, 111938 (2022).
X. Kuang, Y. S. Zhang*, Organic Light-Emitting Diode Microdisplay-Enabled Scalable Visible-Light 3D Printing, Matter 4, 3790 (2021).
S. Weng#, X. Kuang#, Q. Zhang, C. M. Hamel, D. J. Roach, N. Hu, and H. Jerry Qi*,4D Printing of Glass Fiber-Regulated Shape Shifting Structures with High Stiffness, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 13, 12797 (2021), DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c18988.
Q. Zhang#, X. Kuang#, S. Weng, Z. Zhao, H. Chen, D. Fang, and H. J. Qi*, Rapid Volatilization Induced Mechanically Robust Shape-Morphing Structures toward 4D Printing, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 12, 17979 (2020), DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c02038.
X. Kuang, Z. Zhao, K. Chen, D. Fang, G. Kang, and H. J. Qi*, High‐Speed 3D Printing of High‐Performance Thermosetting Polymers via Two‐Stage Curing, Macromol. Rapid. Comm. 39, 1700809 (2018).