Researchers at American University have demonstrated the first use of commercial 3D printers to create a structure with active chemistry — in this case, a structure that acts to mitigate pollution.

The researchers added titanium dioxide nanoparticles to standard ABS filament material (used in 3D printers) and extruded a filament that they then used to print a small, sponge-like plastic object on a low-cost Flashforge Creator Pro 3D Printer.

To test whether or not the nanoparticles would remain active after printing, they placed the object in water and added an organic molecule (a pollutant), which was then destroyed. In another test, the titanium dioxide nanoparticles photocatalyzed the degradation of rhodamine 6G (a flourescent tracer dye) in solution.

The researchers next plan to 3D-print a variety of different geometries to determine an optimal printed shape for applications that involve photocatalytic removal of environmental pollutants.

The study, led by chemistry professor Matthew Hartings, was described in an online, open-access paper April 1 in Science and Technology of Advanced Materials.

Abstract of The chemical, mechanical, and physical properties of 3D printed materials composed of TiO 2 -ABS nanocomposites