Increasing resolution in additive manufacturing by using high-performance and non-toxic photoinitiating systems

Additive manufacturing technology has recently revolutionized the manufacturing industry. In particular, additive manufacturing based on photopolymerization is becoming increasingly popular owing to its ability to create complex geometries at a high resolution. In addition, the use of biocompatible and non-toxic human compounds allows this additive manufacturing to be used in obtaining implants or prostheses, among other applications. Photoinitiators play a key role in this process by initiating the polymerization reaction under the influence of light. Two-component photoinitiator systems, which include newly synthesized 1,4-benzoxazin-2ones, have been developed to improve the quality and resolution of 3D printed objects. Spectroscopic studies and kinetic measurements were conducted using real-time Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. Moreover, various objects were printed to identify favorable substitutions and modifications that would provide the highest efficiency for additive manufacturing. The cytotoxicity of the new compounds was also investigated to assess their safety in human and environmental health. The results presented here provide a better understanding of the effect of a properly selected photoinitiating system on the printing process, which results in better resolution of the objects obtained and can significantly reduce the printing time, while the lack of demonstration of an antiproliferative effect indicates promising potential in obtaining biomaterials using 3D bioprinting techniques.