Biomass-derived Photoresins for Digital Light Processing 3D Printing of Degradable Objects

Vat polymerization is among the most widely used 3D printing techniques for fabricating objects with intricate geometries by solidifying liquid resins through light exposure. Commercially available 3D printing inks for vat polymerization are typically composed of multifunctional (meth)acrylates or epoxides derived from fossil resources, and the resulting photocured objects often lack degradability due to the formation of covalent C–C or ether bond networks. In this study, photocurable resins for digital light processing (DLP) 3D printing are developed by simply blending biomass-derived epoxidized soybean oil, lipoic acid, and isobornyl acrylate at 110 °C with a catalyst. The printing speed and thermomechanical properties of the resins can be easily tuned by adjusting their compositions. The 3D printed objects are shown to degrade upon treatment with thiol in the presence of a base. The use of biomass-sourced resins, combined with the degradability of the printed objects, highlights this approach as a promising step toward improving the sustainability of 3D printing materials.