Triplet fusion upconversion nanocapsules for volumetric 3D printing

Abstract

Volumetric 3D printing has tremendous potential due to its ability to print in static resin vats and produce complicated parts without support structures, and two-photon printing has been tremendously successful in this regard. Here, we utilize a molecular form of upconversion, triplet fusion, to achieve the same quadratic light dependence as two photon absorption at much lower powers. We demonstrate the ability to tune the upconversion threshold across two orders of magnitude and encapsulate the molecules at the nanoscale, providing durability upon addition to a resin. These materials allow us to volumetrically print with less than 4 mW of CW laser power. In this talk we will also discuss future directions of this technology.