SONATA 21 – National Science Centre
Project title: Photochemically Controlled 4D Printing of Functional Fluorescent and Stimuli-Responsive Materials for Diagnostic Applications in Dentistry and Medicine
Project period: 01.04.2026 – 31.03.2030
Grant amount: 1 893 440 PLN
The modern development of additive technologies goes beyond conventional 3D printing, leading to the emergence of 4D printing, in which manufactured objects are equipped with the ability to controlled, time-dependent change of physicochemical properties under the influence of specific environmental stimuli. In 4D printing, the material is not just a passive structural element, but also acts as an intelligent system reacting to changes in pH, temperature, mechanical stress or the presence of selected ions. The key limitation of this technology remains the lack of photocurable polymer systems that would combine high printing precision, low cytotoxicity and mechanical stability with the ability to monitor changes in the biological environment through optical signals, e.g. changes in color or changes in the fluorescence intensity of the material. Addressing this gap is the main goal of the proposed project.
The project concerns the development of innovative, fluorescent intelligent photocurable resins for 3D/4D printing, combining the function of a construction material with the ability to detect pathological changes in clinical conditions, i.e. in the real environment of the oral cavity and during the use of implants or prostheses. Advanced fluorophores reacting to chemical stimuli will be integrated with hybrid radical-cationic polymerization systems. This integration will enable the production of materials capable of generating a fluorescence signal in response to early demineralization, biofilm development, or structural damage. Thanks to this, in 4D printing, these materials will function as an intelligent sensor, reacting on an ongoing basis to changes in their structure and in the environment.
A key research problem is the lack of knowledge about the effect of fluorophores on rheological properties, polymerization kinetics, shrinkage and photocuring process, especially in systems using alternative initiation mechanisms. The possibilities of replacing classical methacrylate and phosphine initiators (e.g. TPO) with materials with lower toxicity and greater application potential in biomedicine will be analyzed. The project plans detailed studies of systems based on silorane monomers, oxetane spiroorthocarbonates, which can significantly reduce processing shrinkage and improve the dimensional stability of prints. An important part of the research will be to assess the extent to which the optical parameters of fluorophores such as absorption spectra, quantum fluorescence efficiency, photophysical effects and their distribution in the polymer matrix affect the curing efficiency and print resolution. This is crucial for 4D technology, where high print quality must coexist with the programmable sensitivity of the material to environmental stimuli.
The project is expected to result in the development of the first class of photocurable, fluorescent diagnostic and structural materials in the literature for medical and dental applications in 3D and 4D printing technologies. The results will contribute to the understanding of structure-properties-function relationships in hybrid photopolymer systems with fluorophores and to the development of a new generation of intelligent biomaterials capable of dynamic, time-dependent signaling of pathological changes in the clinical setting.
The research proposed in the project is innovative, and its implementation will contribute to a significant expansion of knowledge in the field of photochemistry, materials engineering and chemical engineering.