1 - Additive manufacturing for functionalized nanomaterials breaks limits

Abstract

Additive manufacturing (AM) has been one of the most widely used techniques in the area of zero waste manufacturing. Being able to manufacture any part within the stipulated time and with almost negligible down time, AM has touched the level of extreme manufactured techniques. On the other hand, nanotechnology is enabling the development of new solutions to different problems due to the high surface area and associated high reactivity on a scale ranging from one to a few hundred nanometers that are not observed at the microscopic level. Since the introduction of AM, manufacturing at various levels, such as macro to micro, has been achieved. With the introduction of nanomanufacturing and by using nanomaterials, AM started breaking the existing limits by paving the way for the development of functionalized nanomaterials. To date nanomaterials have been functionalized by various techniques such as synthesis and have been used in the biomedical area. Making nanoparticles or nanomaterials functionalized with the help of the AM has allowed much more versatility and efficiency in this field. This chapter deals with the various approaches and various achievements which have been, so far, achieved with the help of AM by using the nanomaterials and make use of them in crucial fields. For example, functionalized nanomaterials, such as nanographene and nanocarbon fiber, have received attention because of their multifunctionalized character. Graphene and carbon fibers are being use in various sensors in their nano form. Similarly, AM has found has use in the manufacturing of various drug delivery devices. In addition, the inclusion of nanomaterials in polymer matrices followed by three-dimensional printing will open new horizons in tissue engineering by creating customized 3D structures with engineered properties and multifunctionality. Moreover, this venture of AM and nanomaterials has seen conventional approaches crossing paths as they found their uses in hard and soft types of biopolymers to create both acellular and cellular 3D tissue builds using a variety of 3D printing and bioprinting techniques. Several approaches are used, including fused deposition modeling, stereolithography, selective laser sintering, and bioprinting with droplet, laser, and extrusion-assisted techniques. Significant modifications are accomplished through surface functionalization, scaffold biodegradation, and nanocomposite cytotoxicity. Nevertheless, this chapter covers every advancement with multiple nanomaterials with the benefit of using 3D printing to create complex multifunctional nanocomposites for different applications.