Triple G-C-T base-coded nucleobase self-assembling monomers featuring polymerizable groups for 3D printing

TitleTriple G-C-T base-coded nucleobase self-assembling monomers featuring polymerizable groups for 3D printing
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2025
AuthorsGawande, AJ, Kamble, GN, Singh, D, Sanjayan, GJ, Nair, KSukumaran
JournalACS Applied Polymer Materials
Volume7
Issue22
Pagination15619-15628
Date PublishedNOV
Type of ArticleArticle
ISSN2637-6105
Keywords3D printing, hydrogen bonding, Self-assembly, Self-healing, Triple G-C-T nucleobase
Abstract

Self-assembling monomers (SAMs) offer a versatile strategy for enhancing the performance of photoresins in Digital Light Processing (DLP) 3D printing. In this work, we report the design and synthesis of two photoprintable, nucleobase-inspired SAMs featuring a triple G-C-T base-coded hydrogen-bonding motif. This SAM was formulated using 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate (2-HEA), 1,6-hexanediol diacrylate (HDDA), and diphenyl(2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl)phosphine oxide (TPO) to prepare UV-curable resins suitable for high-resolution DLP printing. Remarkably, the printed samples exhibited supramolecular self-assembly, facilitated by dynamic hydrogen bonding, demonstrating a notable enhancement in thermal and mechanical performance when compared to the control sample. Thermal properties evaluated by a differential scanning calorimeter revealed an increase in the glass transition temperature (T-g) from 15 degrees C to 54 degrees C for SAM-incorporated printed materials. Mechanical testing demonstrated a >200% increase in toughness and >150% improvement in tensile strength relative to the unmodified resin while maintaining or exceeding the original elongation at break (up to similar to 74%). Variable-temperature FTIR spectroscopy confirmed the presence of thermally responsive supramolecular interactions. Notably, self-healing behavior was observed in both GCT-A 15 wt % and GCT-S 15 wt % formulations, indicating partial recovery of mechanical integrity under mild thermal conditions due to reversible hydrogen bonding. These findings demonstrate the potential of SAMs as functional additives for developing robust, thermally stable, and self-healing DLP-printed materials for advanced engineering applications.

DOI10.1021/acsapm.5c03306
Type of Journal (Indian or Foreign)

Foreign

Impact Factor (IF)

5.0

Divison category: 
Organic Chemistry
Polymer Science & Engineering
Database: 
Web of Science (WoS)

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