Caption: Illustration of high-throughput combinatorial printing, a groundbreaking 3D printing technique that expedites the exploration and production of new materials. Credit: University of Notre Dame
A groundbreaking 3D printing technique known as high-throughput combinatorial printing (HTCP) has been developed, significantly accelerating the process of discovering and manufacturing novel materials.
By integrating multiple aerosolized nanomaterial inks during the printing process, HTCP enables precise control over the architecture and local compositions of printed materials. This innovative method allows the creation of materials with gradient compositions and properties, extending its applicability to various substances, including metals, semiconductors, polymers, and biomaterials.
The traditional approach of trial and error, reminiscent of Edisonian methods, has long impeded progress due to its slow and labor-intensive nature. This hindered advancements in clean energy, environmental sustainability, electronics, and biomedical devices.
Yanliang Zhang, an associate professor of aerospace and mechanical engineering at the University of Notre Dame, recognized the need for a transformative solution. Zhang aimed to revolutionize the discovery and manufacturing of new materials by reducing the time required for their development to less than a year, or even just a few months.
Zhang’s groundbreaking efforts have resulted in the creation of a novel 3D printing method that surpasses conventional manufacturing techniques. The new process involves the simultaneous mixing of multiple aerosolized nanomaterial inks within a single printing nozzle, allowing for real-time adjustment of ink mixing ratios. Referred to as high-throughput combinatorial printing (HTCP), this method offers precise control over the 3D architecture and local compositions of printed materials, generating microscale spatial resolution materials with gradient compositions and properties.
The research conducted by Zhang was recently published on May 10, 2023, in the esteemed journal Nature.
The versatile aerosol-based HTCP technique applies to a wide range of metals, semiconductors, dielectrics, polymers, and biomaterials. It produces combinational materials that serve as expansive “libraries,” encompassing thousands of unique compositions.
Zhang highlights the potential of combining HTCP with high-throughput characterization, a process that can significantly expedite materials discovery. Already, Zhang’s team has successfully utilized this approach to identify a semiconductor material boasting exceptional thermoelectric properties. This discovery holds tremendous promise for energy harvesting and cooling applications.
Moreover, HTCP facilitates the production of functionally graded materials, which exhibit a gradual transition from rigid to flexible characteristics. Such materials prove invaluable in biomedical applications that require seamless integration between soft body tissues and rigid wearable or implantable devices.
In the subsequent phase of their research, Zhang and the students in his Advanced Manufacturing and Energy Lab plan to leverage machine learning and artificial intelligence-guided strategies to analyze the data-rich nature of HTCP. This approach aims to accelerate the discovery and development of a wide range of materials.
Zhang envisions an autonomous and self-driving process for materials discovery and device manufacturing in the future. This would allow lab students to focus their efforts on high-level thinking, ushering in a new era of efficiency and innovation.
Reference: “High-throughput printing of combinatorial materials from aerosols” by Minxiang Zeng, Yipu Du, Qiang Jiang, Nicholas Kempf, Chen Wei, Miles V. Bimrose, A. N. M. Tanvir, Hengrui Xu, Jiahao Chen, Dylan J. Kirsch, Joshua Martin, Brian C. Wyatt, Tatsunori Hayashi, Mortaza Saeidi-Javash, Hirotaka Sakaue, Babak Anasori, Lihua Jin, Michael D. McMurtrey, and Yanliang Zhang, 10 May 2023, Nature. DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-05898-9
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about 3D printing, material discovery
What is high-throughput combinatorial printing (HTCP)?
High-throughput combinatorial printing (HTCP) is a novel 3D printing method that accelerates the discovery and production of new materials. It involves mixing multiple aerosolized nanomaterial inks during the printing process to achieve precise control over the architecture and local compositions of the printed materials.
How does HTCP benefit material discovery and manufacturing?
HTCP revolutionizes material discovery and manufacturing by significantly reducing the time required to develop new materials. Instead of the traditional trial-and-error process that could take years, HTCP aims to shorten the timeline to less than a year or even a few months. This expedites the advancement of clean energy technologies, environmental sustainability, electronics, and biomedical devices.
What types of materials can HTCP be applied to?
HTCP is extremely versatile and can be applied to a wide range of substances, including metals, semiconductors, polymers, and biomaterials. The method allows for the creation of materials with gradient compositions and properties, making it applicable to various industries and applications.
Can HTCP generate different combinations of materials?
Yes, HTCP can generate combinational materials by mixing multiple aerosolized nanomaterial inks. This approach creates libraries of materials, each containing thousands of unique compositions. This combinatorial aspect of HTCP enhances the potential for materials discovery and expands the possibilities for various technological applications.
What future developments are expected for HTCP?
In the future, researchers plan to apply machine learning and artificial intelligence-guided strategies to further enhance the capabilities of HTCP. By leveraging the data-rich nature of HTCP, the goal is to accelerate the discovery and development of a broad range of materials. Additionally, the vision is to establish an autonomous and self-driving process for materials discovery and device manufacturing, optimizing efficiency and fostering innovation.
More about 3D printing, material discovery
- University of Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame
- Journal Nature: Nature (DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-05898-9)
