Efficient chain transfer for 3D-printing of tough photopolymers

An ever-growing number of coatings, including varnishes and printing inks, as well as tooth fillings, are cured with light. Yet, homogenous, tailored, polymer networks cannot be produced, and the materials tend to be brittle, which limits the use of photopolymers in applications like 3-D printing, biomedicine, and microelectronics. In the journal Angewandte Chemie, researchers present a method by which methacrylate-based, homogenously crosslinked, tailored, tough polymers can be made – even at high resolution for 3-D printing.