3D-Printing a Transparent Part for Use with Nanoparticle Sensors

The rapidly-evolving technology of 3-D printing offers many exciting possibilities and applications. This research expands the possibilities to include 3-D printed nanoparticles that may be used in sensors. Nanoparticle sensors are currently in use today, but the ability to 3-D print these sensors would improve the manufacturing process. Nanoparticle sensors could be created in any shape or size desired, without the need for a molded part. In this case, iron-core/gold-shell nanoparticles were compounded with Amphora transparent polymer filament and extruded into a spool for use in a Makerbot Replicator 2X. The resultant printed part maintains the sensing properties of the nanoparticles, namely, their ability to rotate light in the presence of magnetic field. Joined with a polarized lens and a magnet, the printed part makes an effective qualitative demonstrator. Future work is to quantify the detection abilities, and develop reproducible and uniform nanoparticle concentrations within the filament.