Printing adaptability and vitrification of UV photo-responsive silica nanocomposites

• The heat treatment process is optimized to reveal the vitrification of printed parts. • Glass slurry with high solid loading and low viscosity is synthesized for printing. • The micro kinetic mechanism of free radical photopolymerization is introduced. • 3D printed glass components with a roughness of about 4 nm are fabricated. • Printed high-quality silica can be employed in photoelectronic and optical devices. A 3D-printing-compatible approach is reported to construct special-shaped silica glass components. Printable silica-polymer slurries are optimized to obtain the shear-thinning colloidal suspensions with high solid loading and tunable rheological properties. The effects of heat treatment methods and solid loadings on the vitrification of printed parts are explored. To reveal the printing adaptability, the micro kinetic mechanism of free radical photopolymerization is introduced into the thickness-time equation to confirm the printing parameters. Taking into account the requirements of 3D printing for the slurry rheology and the linear shrinkage, a series of customizable silica glasses are constructed based on the parameters predicted by the model. Surprisingly, silica glasses show exceptionally smooth surfaces with a roughness of about 4 nm. The preceding observations confirm the obvious competitiveness of 3D printing relative to traditional glass forming methods, as well as the additional benefits of the freedom to design and produce complex geometries.