I-Corps: Surface Modification of Complex Structures by Self-Limiting Electrospray Deposition

I-Corps项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力是开发一种自我限制的电喷涂沉积制造技术。材料涂层无处不在，从植入物的生物增容剂到航空航天中的防腐应用。然而，大多数微纳米制造技术在经济上是不可行的。所提出的技术旨在处理纳米颗粒和生物材料，并且可以在设备和结构中实现这些材料，否则它们将会非常昂贵。广泛的增材制造（AM）的出现导致3D打印部件比以往任何时候都更加复杂和可定制。提出的技术可用于涂覆和升级这些部件具有高水平的自动化。此外，人们对仿生材料越来越感兴趣，因为这是一种新的特殊材料，而提出的技术代表了一种低成本的方式来产生这些结构。此外，所提出的技术可用于医疗应用，可将先进疗法和功能植入物的范围扩大到更广泛的患者。I-Corps的这个项目是基于一种自限性电喷涂沉积技术的发展，这是一种利用静电力进行高度定向保形涂层的制造技术。所提出的技术旨在使用单个固定喷嘴在环境条件下涂覆3D物体，并且类似的效果允许在绝缘基板上靶向微米尺度的2D导电图案。自限电喷涂沉积技术的兼容性已被证明与几种工业相关材料，包括聚合物，治疗分子（例如，免疫调节剂，DNA疫苗，蛋白质），纳米颗粒和密封屏障。它还与增材制造（AM）零件和小型2D和3D特征高度兼容。虽然标准静电喷涂在汽车和制药制造中无处不在，甚至可以实现非视线涂层，但所提出的技术旨在实现真正的保形涂层，在微纳米尺度上具有均匀性。此外，结果实现了接近100%的效率，允许对昂贵材料进行低浪费处理。总的来说，这些功能使得所建议的技术非常适合跨行业实现高技术解决方案，否则这些解决方案的成本将过高。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is the development of a self-limiting electrospray deposition manufacturing technology. Material coatings are ubiquitous, from bio-compatibilizers for implants, to anti-corrosion applications in aerospace. However, most techniques for micro and nanoscale manufacturing are not economically feasible. The proposed technology is designed to process nanoparticles and biomaterials and may implement these materials in devices and structures where they would otherwise be prohibitively expensive. The advent of widespread additive manufacturing (AM) has led to 3D printed parts that are more intricate and customizable than ever before. The proposed technology may be used to coat and upgrade these parts with a high level of automation. In addition, interest is growing in biomimetic materials as a new class of extraordinary materials, and the proposed technology represents a low-cost way to generate these structures. Also, the proposed technology may be used in medical applications that may expand the reach of advanced therapeutics and functional implants to a much wider range of patients.This I-Corps project is based on the development of a self-limiting electrospray deposition technology, which is a manufacturing technique that uses electrostatic forces to perform highly targeted conformal coatings. The proposed technology is designed to coat 3D objects in ambient conditions using a single stationary spray nozzle and a similar effect allows for targeting of micron-scale 2D conductive patterns on insulating substrates. The compatibility of the self-limiting electrospray deposition technology has been demonstrated with several industrially relevant materials including polymers, therapeutic molecules (e.g., immunomodulators, DNA vaccines, proteins), nanoparticles, and hermetic barriers. It is also highly compatible with additive manufacturing (AM) parts and small 2D and 3D features. While standard electrostatic sprays are ubiquitous in automotive and pharmaceutical manufacturing and can even achieve non-line-of-sight coatings, the proposed technology is designed to achieve true conformal coatings with uniformity on the micro and nanoscale. In addition, results achieved efficiencies approaching 100%, allowing for low waste processing of expensive materials. Collectively, these capabilities make the proposed technology ideal for implementing high-tech solutions across industries where they would otherwise be cost prohibitive.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.