Protein denaturation offers a path to more sustainable 3D printing of photoresins

A biodegradable alternative to some commodity plastics. Credit: Andrew J. Boydston
The majority of photoresins for 3D printing (also known as additive manufacturing or AM) and related technologies are toxic, non-biodegradable, and sourced from unsustainable sources. Non-traditional approaches to 3D printing offer a way to break through the traditional limitations of chemical methods that require unsustainable petroleum-based reagents and toxic monomers.
A recent collaboration between Professor AJ Boydston (Department of Chemistry) and Professor Audrey Girard (Department of Food Science) at the University of Wisconsin achieved the first demonstration of additive manufacturing with protein denaturation (AMPD).
The paper will be published in the journal Green Chemistry.
The AMPD concept leverages recently invented AM methods that convert patterned light into heat using photothermal conversion, allowing the creation of 3D shapes in response to patterned heat (U.S. Patent 11,597,145 , published March 7, 2023, assigned to WARF).
This method, invented by Boydston and Lee, is called “Heating at Patterned Photothermal Interface” (HAPPI 3D) printing. Dr. Chang-Uk Lee (Boydston Research Group) reasoned that thermal protein denaturation is a viable curing mechanism to convert liquid resins (aqueous solutions of proteins) into solid parts, given that photothermal conversion can be patterned. did.
Above the denaturation temperature, proteins tend to aggregate and solidify. The team, along with undergraduate researcher Sung June Kim and postdoctoral researcher Dr. Rachel Dietrich, successfully demonstrated the ability to 3D print complex parts from a non-toxic and sustainable protein solution.
They found that the mechanical properties were comparable to those of some commodity plastics, and that by adjusting the concentration of proteins in the resin, they could control the porosity of the printed parts. Additionally, the printed parts are fully biodegradable, as no chemical modification of the proteins is required to make them 3D printable.
Going forward, the team will expand the range of applicable protein raw materials, investigate applications that leverage the sustainable characteristics of these materials, and ultimately develop bioresorbable materials with patient-specific shapes that are absorbed into the body. We aim to target applications related to human health, such as sexual tissue scaffolds. body over time. This substance can guide the regeneration and growth of tissues in the body.
Further information: Chang-Uk Lee et al. Additive manufacturing by protein denaturation, Green Chemistry (2024). DOI: 10.1039/D4GC02932A
Provided by the Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Citation: Protein denaturation provides path to more sustainable 3D printing of photoresins (January 23, 2025) https://phys.org/news/2025-01-protein-denaturation-path- Retrieved January 23, 2025 from sustainable-3d.html
This document is subject to copyright. No part may be reproduced without written permission, except in fair dealing for personal study or research purposes. Content is provided for informational purposes only.