Surprising Benefit Unveiled by Nanoscale 3D Metal Printing Technique

Researchers at Caltech have developed a new technique for 3D printing metal objects at the nanoscale, which are three-to-five times stronger than similarly sized structures with more orderly atomic arrangements. The process involves selectively hardening a photosensitive hydrogel scaffold with a laser, infusing it with metal ions, burning out the hydrogel, and chemically stripping out the oxygen atoms. The resulting nanoscale metal objects have a disordered atomic structure that actually enhances their strength by preventing failure from propagating. This breakthrough could have applications in creating catalysts, storage electrodes, sensors, microrobots, and heat exchangers.