A Universal Toughening and Energy‐Dissipating Strategy for Impact‐Resistant 3D‐Printed Composites
3D-printed polymer-based composites are promising for various engineering applications due to high strength-to-weight ratios and design flexibility. However, conventional matrix materials, such as polylactic acid and epoxy resin, often exhibit brittleness and limited impact resistance (< 10 kJ m<sup>-</sup> <sup>2</sup>). Herein, a universal strategy is reported for enhancing the ductility and impact energy absorption of 3D-printed composites by leveraging the dynamic crosslinking of B─O dative bonds. To validate its effectiveness, a smart composite (PLA/SSG) comprising shear-stiffening gel fillers embedded in a polylactic acid matrix is designed and its rate-dependent mechanical adjustability along with 3D printability is evaluated. The resulting composite shows significant improvements in impact resistance, ductility, and strength-ductility balance. Specifically, the multiple crack and localized plastic yielding of polylactic acid matrix induced by shear-stiffening gel fillers enables PLA/SSG with a 40-times increase in ductility; the "soft-hard" phase transition of shear-stiffening gel induced by B─O bonds endows PLA/SSG with a 330% improvement in impact energy absorption. This B─O bonds-inspired strategy provides a universal approach for printing smart impact-resistant composites and structures.
Authors
- Yan Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0493-5300)
- Xiang Hong
- Yu Ma (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3610-4226)
- Zhongsen Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4075-6596)
- Peng Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8645-6751)
- Junming Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5231-4667)
- Weidong Yang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6473-9272)
Institutions
- Tongji University (CN)
- Beijing Institute of Technology (CN)
- Civil Aviation Administration of China (CN)
- Chongqing University of Technology (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Advanced Science
- Published
- 2025-04-09
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202501450
- Citations
- 11
- Primary Topic
- biodegradable polymer synthesis and properties
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 6.57
Funders
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
- National Key Research and Development Program of China