Highly efficient carbon dot-based photoinitiating systems for 3D-VAT printing

Abstract

In this work, different types of carbon dots (CDs) based on citric acid as a precursor were synthesized using an efficient procedure to purify these materials from low molecular by-products and fluorophores. Their structural and optical characteristics were elaborated and compared to commercially available graphene quantum dots. The mechanism of their action in photopolymerization processes was evaluated. Obtained materials proved to perform well in the development of effective photoinitiating systems for 3D printing applications. The morphology and chemical composition of obtained hydrogel printouts were profoundly characterized via SEM, AFM, Nano-FTIR, and s-SNOM.