Additive manufacturing of TiO2 nanotube-reinforced polyurethane acrylate nanocomposites with dark antibacterial activity
Journal of Science: Advanced Materials and Devices, cilt.11, sa.3, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 11 Sayı: 3
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1016/j.jsamd.2026.101219
- Dergi Adı: Journal of Science: Advanced Materials and Devices
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
- Anahtar Kelimeler: Additive manufacturing, Antibacterial properties, Mechanical properties, Nanocomposite, Titanium dioxide nanotube
- Yıldız Teknik Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
TiO2-reinforced polymer composites for lightweight and antibacterial applications are important in industrial and healthcare contexts. However, many reported TiO2-containing printable composites rely on relatively high filler loadings or UV-driven photocatalysis, which can compromise optical curing, dimensional accuracy, and antibacterial performance in the dark. This study addresses this gap by developing an MSLA-printable nanocomposite reinforced with a minimal amount of methacrylate-functionalized TiO2 nanotubes with long-lived superoxides adsorbed on their surface. The suitability of TiO2 nanotubes as antibacterial composite reinforcement has been verified by advanced characterization techniques. For the assessment of mechanical and antibacterial properties, tensile and flexural tests, and antibacterial tests were conducted according to their corresponding standards. The mechanical properties were mostly preserved with the increasing filler ratio, where tensile strength improved by 19% and flexural strength remained stable, while antibacterial activity reached 98% under UV illumination and 90% in darkness, with a maximum TiO2 reinforcement content of 0.15%. These findings demonstrate that our nanocomposites, developed and implemented through additive manufacturing, are also applicable for any manufacturing technique related to thermosetting polymers, possess substantial potential as versatile antibacterial materials for healthcare and various industrial applications such as dentures, membranes for groundwater filtration and chemical reduction, without any external UV light excitation, thus lower energy consumption during operational conditions.