Embedding Carbon Dots in Superabsorbent Polymers for Additive Manufacturing

Yiqun Zhou; Keenan J Mintz; Cagri Y Oztan; Sajini D Hettiarachchi; Zhili Peng; Elif S Seven; Piumi Y Liyanage; Sabrina De La Torre; Emrah Celik; Roger M Leblanc

doi:10.3390/polym10080921

Embedding Carbon Dots in Superabsorbent Polymers for Additive Manufacturing

Polymers (Basel). 2018 Aug 17;10(8):921. doi: 10.3390/polym10080921.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Chemistry, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA. YXZ431@miami.edu.
² Department of Chemistry, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA. kjm154@miami.edu.
³ Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA. cyo4@miami.edu.
⁴ Department of Chemistry, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA. sdh86@miami.edu.
⁵ Department of Chemistry, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA. z.peng@umiami.edu.
⁶ Department of Chemistry, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA. ess133@miami.edu.
⁷ Department of Chemistry, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA. pyl5@miami.edu.
⁸ Department of Biology, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA. sdela065@fiu.edu.
⁹ Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA. e.celik@miami.edu.
¹⁰ Department of Chemistry, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA. rml@miami.edu.

Abstract

A type of orange carbon dots (O-CDs) synthesized via an ultrasonication route with citric acid and 1,2-phenylenediamine as precursors was embedded into sodium polyacrylate (SPA) as the ink for 3D printing. Characterizations of these spherical O-CDs revealed an ultra-small size (~2 nm) and excitation-independent, but solvent dependent, emission. The O-CDs were evenly distributed with low degree of aggregation in sodium polyacrylate (SPA), which was achieved due to the property that SPA can absorb water together with O-CDs. The 3D printed photoluminescent objective with the ink revealed a great potential for high yield application of these materials for additive manufacturing. This also represents the first time, bare CDs have been reported as a photoluminescent material in 3D printing, as well as the first time SPA has been reported as a material for 3D printing.

Keywords: 3D printing; additive manufacturing; carbon dots; embedment; solvent effect; superabsorbent polymer.