ABSTRACT
This study demonstrates the successful 3D printing of dental resin-based composites (DRCs) containing ceramic particles using the digital light processing (DLP) technique. The mechanical properties and oral rinsing stability of the printed composites were evaluated. DRCs have been extensively studied for restorative and prosthetic dentistry due to their clinical performance and aesthetic quality. They are often subjected to periodic environmental stress, and thus can easily undergo undesirable premature failure. Here, we investigated the effects of two different high-strength and biocompatible ceramic additives, carbon nanotube (CNT) and yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ), on the mechanical properties and oral rinsing stabilities of DRCs. Dental resin matrices containing different wt.% of CNT or YSZ were printed using the DLP technique after analyzing the rheological behavior of slurries. Mechanical properties such as Rockwell hardness and flexural strength, as well as the oral rinsing stability of the 3D-printed composites, were systematically investigated. The results indicated that a DRC with 0.5 wt.% YSZ exhibits the highest hardness of 19.8 ± 0.6 HRB and a flexural strength flexural strength of 50.6 ± 6 MPa, as well as reasonable oral rinsing steadiness. This study provides a fundamental perspective for designing advanced dental materials containing biocompatible ceramic particles.
ABSTRACT
The development of organic-inorganic photoactive materials has resulted in significant advancements in heterogeneous visible light photocatalysis. This paper reports the synthesis of visible light-active Ag/TiO2@Pani nanocomposite film via a simple biogenic-chemical route. Electrically conducting Ag/TiO2@Pani nanocomposites were prepared by incorporating Ag/TiO2 in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone solution of polyaniline (Pani), followed by the preparation of Ag/TiO2@Pani nanocomposite film using solution casting technique. The synthesized Ag/TiO2@Pani nanocomposite was confirmed by UV-visible spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. The Ag/TiO2@Pani nanocomposite film showed superior activity towards the photodegradation of methylene blue under visible light compared to Pani film, even after repeated use. Studies on the thermoelectrical behavior by DC electrical conductivity retention under cyclic aging techniques showed that the Ag/TiO2@Pani nanocomposite film possessed a high combination of electrical conductivity and thermal stability. Because of its better thermoelectric performance and photodegradation properties, such materials might be a suitable advancement in the field of smart materials in near future.
