Enhancement of high concentration aqueous iron oxide nanoparticle ink printability through well-defined polymer additives

Abstract

Polymer additives play a crucial role in modifying the stability and rheology of ceramic nanoparticle suspensions. A library of anionic, cationic and non-ionic polymer additives were prepared via reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) solution polymerisation and the impact of these polymer additives on the stability, rheology and printability of aqueous iron oxide nanoparticle (IOP) suspensions was investigated. Zeta potential measurements, particle size characterisation and sedimentation experiments at a range of pH values revealed that the polymer additives significantly altered IOP suspension stability. Specifically, poly(glycerol monomethacrylate) (PGMA), quatenised poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (q-PDMAEMA), poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA), and polyethyleneimine (PEI) enhanced stability in acidic conditions. At neutral and alkaline pH, the stability was significantly improved with the addition of poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA) and PGMA. Subsequently, rheological assessments on IOP suspensions with 0.5% w/w of polymer additive demonstrated that PGMA48 reduced the dispersion viscosity at all pHs studied. In contrast, PDMAEMA48 and PEI reduced the viscosity at pH 3 but increased it at pH 7 and 10. Poly(potassium 3-sulfopropyl methacrylate) (PKSPMA49) consistently raised the viscosity at all pH values studied. The practical application of these findings was demonstrated through the direct ink writing (DIW) of polymer additive-containing IOP inks to form 11-layered thin-walled square structures, which showed enhanced shape retention and crack-free drying on aluminium substrates. These findings underscore the potential of precise polymer additives to refine ceramic ink rheology at minimal polymer loadings, paving the way for the development of tailored polymer additives for ceramic ink formulation and 3D printing technologies.

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
24 Jul 2025
Accepted
21 Oct 2025
First published
22 Oct 2025
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

RSC Appl. Polym., 2025, Accepted Manuscript

Enhancement of high concentration aqueous iron oxide nanoparticle ink printability through well-defined polymer additives

Z. Luo, X. Li and L. A. Fielding, RSC Appl. Polym., 2025, Accepted Manuscript , DOI: 10.1039/D5LP00232J

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