<p>For the first time, researchers have used commercial 3D printers to create a chemically active structure the size of handheld sponge that acts to mitigate pollution.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The experiment, created with many off-the-shelf materials common to makers, hobbyists and home enthusiasts, puts the power of chemistry invention into the hands of people taking advantage of the 3D printing revolution, researchers said.<br /><br />The researchers led by Matthew Hartings, professor at the American University, designed a small structure the size of handheld sponge.<br /><br />They dispersed throughout plastic chemically active titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles. Using the same filament hobbyists use in the printing process of 3D-printed figures, researchers added the nanoparticles.<br /><br />Using a 3D thermoplastic printer, ubiquitous in manufacturing, the researchers printed a small, sponge-like plastic matrix.<br /><br />Pollutants break down when natural light interacts with TiO2, which has potential applications in the removal of pollution from air, water and agricultural sources.<br /><br />To demonstrate pollution mitigation, they placed the matrix in water and added an organic molecule (pollutant). The pollutant was destroyed. TiO2 also photocatalysed the degradation of a rhodamine 6G, a highly fluorescent dye in solution.<br /><br />"It's not just pollution, but there are all sorts of other chemical processes that people may be interested in. There are a variety of nanoparticles one could add to a polymer to print," Hartings said.<br /><br />One limitation of the research is that for the structure to print, the concentration of nanoparticles needed to be less than 10 per cent of total mass of the structure.<br /><br />To have an efficient structure, a higher concentration could be needed, Hartings said.<br /><br />The structure printed for this study was a simple shape. Harnessing the power of 3D-printing, the researchers' next step will be to print many exotic shapes to understand how printed structure affects the chemical reactivity.<br /><br />Because of the promising results, they have already started experimenting with different printed geometries to determine an optimal printed shape for applications that involve photocatalytic removal of environmental pollutants.<br /><br />The study was published in the journal Science and Technology of Advanced Materials.</p>
<p>For the first time, researchers have used commercial 3D printers to create a chemically active structure the size of handheld sponge that acts to mitigate pollution.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The experiment, created with many off-the-shelf materials common to makers, hobbyists and home enthusiasts, puts the power of chemistry invention into the hands of people taking advantage of the 3D printing revolution, researchers said.<br /><br />The researchers led by Matthew Hartings, professor at the American University, designed a small structure the size of handheld sponge.<br /><br />They dispersed throughout plastic chemically active titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles. Using the same filament hobbyists use in the printing process of 3D-printed figures, researchers added the nanoparticles.<br /><br />Using a 3D thermoplastic printer, ubiquitous in manufacturing, the researchers printed a small, sponge-like plastic matrix.<br /><br />Pollutants break down when natural light interacts with TiO2, which has potential applications in the removal of pollution from air, water and agricultural sources.<br /><br />To demonstrate pollution mitigation, they placed the matrix in water and added an organic molecule (pollutant). The pollutant was destroyed. TiO2 also photocatalysed the degradation of a rhodamine 6G, a highly fluorescent dye in solution.<br /><br />"It's not just pollution, but there are all sorts of other chemical processes that people may be interested in. There are a variety of nanoparticles one could add to a polymer to print," Hartings said.<br /><br />One limitation of the research is that for the structure to print, the concentration of nanoparticles needed to be less than 10 per cent of total mass of the structure.<br /><br />To have an efficient structure, a higher concentration could be needed, Hartings said.<br /><br />The structure printed for this study was a simple shape. Harnessing the power of 3D-printing, the researchers' next step will be to print many exotic shapes to understand how printed structure affects the chemical reactivity.<br /><br />Because of the promising results, they have already started experimenting with different printed geometries to determine an optimal printed shape for applications that involve photocatalytic removal of environmental pollutants.<br /><br />The study was published in the journal Science and Technology of Advanced Materials.</p>