Deep eutectic solvent-assisted 3D printing of lignocellulosic biomass

Deep eutectic solvent-assisted 3D printing of lignocellulosic biomass

Chemical Engineering Journal

10.1016/j.cej.2025.168671

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2025.168671

Tingting Wu, Sigit Sugiarto, Udyani Aloka Weerasinghe, Ruochen Yang, Linran Jia, Pek Yin Michelle Yew, Danwei Zhang, Thenapakiam Sathasivam, Pei Lin Chee, Xunchang Fei, Dan Kai

General Materials Science

23 September 2025

Wu, T., Sugiarto, S., Weerasinghe, U. A., Yang, R., Jia, L., Yew, P. Y. M., Zhang, D., Sathasivam, T., Chee, P. L., Fei, X., & Kai, D. (2025). Deep eutectic solvent-assisted 3D printing of lignocellulosic biomass. Chemical Engineering Journal, 523, 168671. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2025.168671

Lignocellulosic biomass is a renewable, biodegradable alternative to petroleum‐based materials, but its complex structure makes processing difficult. Although 3D printing can create intricate geometries, printing lignocellulose directly is challenging. Deep eutectic solvents (DES) improve the processability of lignocellulose by breaking down its recalcitrant structure, making it a promising medium for enabling biomass 3D printing. This study combines DES treatment, composed of choline chloride and lactic acid, with mechanical processing to enable efficient fractionation and size refinement of lignocellulosic biomass into cellulose nanofibers and lignin nanoparticles. This approach enables the creation of stable and homogeneous paste-like inks with an extended shelf-life and good reprocessability. The inks are successfully 3D-printed via direct ink writing (DIW, via a nozzle resolution of 410 µm) without any addition of synthetic resin. Moreover, the treated lignocellulosic biomass presents a biodegradation level of 71% for pineapple leaf fiber (PALF), 52% for sawdust, and 44% for coir in two months. The synergistic effects of DES and mechanical treatment impart high shape fidelity to the 3D-printed structures and enhance the robustness of films, demonstrating the potential of this approach for sustainable material applications.

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

This research / project is supported by the Agency of Science, Technology and Research - Manufacturing, Trade, and Connectivity - Individual Research Grants
Grant Reference no. : M22K2c0085

This research / project is supported by the Agency of Science, Technology and Research - Manufacturing, Trade, and Connectivity Programmatic Fund
Grant Reference no. : M25O2b0016

https://oar.a-star.edu.sg/communities-collections/articles/22398

1385-8947

Institute of Sustainability for Chemicals, Energy and Environment