Interfacial Photopolymerization:A method for High-Resolution Digital Printing of Linear Chain Polymers

Systems, methods, and compositions for using Interfacial Photopolymerization (IPP) for high-resolution digital processing of polymers are disclosed. In IPP, a polymer film can be formed at an interface between two liquids, each containing a species involved in a polymerization reaction. The two liquids can include a photoinitiator and a monomer that are immiscible and/or reactive such that the film can form at the interface. The polymerization reaction can be controlled by a LED light source, which is focused at a reaction zone located at or near the liquid-liquid interface. The resulting polymer results in a high-resolution, high-throughput AM of thermoplastic polymers that enables on-demand production of objects that exhibit exceptional dimensional quality, mechanical properties, and recyclability characteristics.