Wu Mingfeng, Wang Huan, Liza Afroza Akter, Guo Lukuan, Zhu Wenyuan, Song Junlong, Zhang Fengshan, Liu Yanshao, Jin Yongcan, Guo Jiaqi
Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Resources and International Innovation Center for Forest Chemicals and Materials, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China.
Shandong Huatai Paper Co., Ltd. and Shandong Yellow Triangle Biotechnology Industry Research Institute Co. LTD, Dongying 257000, China.
Carbohydr Polym. 2025 Mar 15;352:123159. doi: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2024.123159. Epub 2024 Dec 18.
3D printing technology is one of the most promising strategies for constructing topological functional materials. The development of functional inks is a core issue in the technical development of 3D printing technology. In this study, we engineered photonic crystal inks based on chiral nematic liquid crystals of cellulose derivative, i.e. hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC), and applied it to direct-ink-writing (DIW) 3D printing technology. We modified hydroxypropyl cellulose by etherification reaction to obtain photo-cross-linkable water-soluble hydroxypropyl cellulose acrylate (HPCA) with different degrees of substitution (DS). We comprehensively explored the effect of the DS on the initial concentration of formed chiral nematic liquid crystal and quantitatively, analyzed the relationship between the DS and the helical structure of the chiral nematic structure. We used photo cross-linkable chiral nematic HPCA as photonic crystal ink to construct structure-color 3D objects of diverse shapes. The constructed structure-color objects showcase robust tolerance against temperature and acidic conditions (pH = 1). Moreover, the color of the constructed objects is independent of the observation angle. The photonic crystal ink based on chiral nematic liquid crystals of biodegradable polysaccharide materials is expected to have excellent market prospects in the fields of such as smart packaging and optical devices.
3D打印技术是构建拓扑功能材料最具前景的策略之一。功能性墨水的开发是3D打印技术发展中的核心问题。在本研究中，我们基于纤维素衍生物（即羟丙基纤维素，HPC）的手性向列型液晶设计了光子晶体墨水，并将其应用于直接墨水书写（DIW）3D打印技术。我们通过醚化反应对羟丙基纤维素进行改性，以获得具有不同取代度（DS）的可光交联水溶性羟丙基纤维素丙烯酸酯（HPCA）。我们全面探讨了取代度对形成的手性向列型液晶初始浓度的影响，并定量分析了取代度与手性向列结构螺旋结构之间的关系。我们使用可光交联的手性向列型HPCA作为光子晶体墨水来构建各种形状的结构色3D物体。构建的结构色物体在温度和酸性条件（pH = 1）下表现出强大的耐受性。此外，构建物体的颜色与观察角度无关。基于可生物降解多糖材料的手性向列型液晶的光子晶体墨水有望在智能包装和光学器件等领域拥有出色的市场前景。
