3D-Printed Limonene-based Constructs via Digital Light Processing

• Grant number: 25/20376-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Master's degree
• Start date: January 12, 2026
• End date: July 11, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Chemical Engineering - Chemical Technology
• Principal Investigator: Roniérik Pioli Vieira
• Grantee: Mateus Teixeira Bertão
• Supervisor: Sandra Van Vlierberghe
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia Química (FEQ). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Ghent University (UGent), Belgium
• Associated to the scholarship: 24/18832-7 - Experimental and simulation study of the synthesis of oligomers derived from terpenes, BP.MS

Abstract

The growing demand for sustainable alternatives to petroleum-derived polymers highlights the importance of developing renewable photopolymer systems for advanced manufacturing. D-Limonene, a terpene abundantly obtained from citrus peel oils, is a promising bio-based building block due to its dual double bonds, low cost, and availability. Herein, is proposed the synthesis, characterization, and application of limonene-derived oligomers as precursors for photocurable resins optimized for digital light processing (DLP) and tomographic volumetric (VP) 3D printing. Linear oligomers will be synthesized via thiol-ene reactions with bifunctional thiol and characterized by 1H NMR, GPC, DSC, and TGA to establish structure-property relationships. These oligomers will then be crosslinked with tetra-thiol to form poly(thioether) networks. Photocuring kinetics will be studied by photo-rheology to determine gelation time, curing rate, and modulus evolution, providing quantitative insight into formulation performance. Resin optimization will be carried out by systematically adjusting initiator concentration, absorber dosage, and energy dose to meet the requirements of high-resolution DLP and VP printing. The optimized resins will be employed to fabricate calibration geometries, serving as proof-of-concept demonstrations of printability, mechanical integrity, and dimensional accuracy. These materials are expected to show high crosslinking efficiency, tunable properties, and attractive printing fidelity, reinforcing their potential for applications in functional devices.