Photochromic WO3 3D-printing gels peer reviewed research
3Dresyn Fine Tuner FT1 is the photoinitiating component used to photocure, at 405 nm by DLP, a peer-reviewed WO₃-loaded acrylic gel nanocomposite with photochromic and heat-management behaviour for smart-window and decorative-parts research.
What the study reports, attributed to its authors. The photochromic switching and thermal performance are properties of the complete WO₃ gel nanocomposite and the printed structures, not of neat FT1.
Vertical: photochromic 3D-printing gels for smart-window and decorative-parts research. This page presents research credibility for FT1 in advanced formulations, not a smart-window product.
3Dresyn Fine Tuner FT1 is a fast photo accelerant (a photopolymerization additive) that, in peer-reviewed research, was used as the photoinitiating component to 3D-print a photochromic tungsten-oxide (WO₃) gel for smart-window research.
A 2025 open-access study in Macromolecular Materials and Engineering (Urain et al., POLYMAT, University of the Basque Country, with Oribay Automotive) developed a photocurable acrylic resin containing WO₃ nanoparticles. The resin photopolymerizes at 405 nm and was printed by DLP. After curing, the gel switches reversibly between a transparent colorless state and a dark-blue colored state under UV or sunlight, blocking near-infrared radiation for heat management.
FT1 is the only 3Dresyns material in the study, used at about 0.1 wt% as the photoinitiating component that enables the cure. The photochromic switching and heat-management performance are properties of the complete WO₃ gel nanocomposite and the printed structures, not of FT1. Results below are attributed to their authors and are not first-party performance claims by 3Dresyns, and FT1 is a formulation additive, not a ready-to-print photochromic resin.
The peer-reviewed study
Fine Tuner FT1 as the photoinitiating component of a DLP-printed photochromic WO₃ gel
A 2025 open-access study in Macromolecular Materials and Engineering (Urain et al., POLYMAT, University of the Basque Country, with Oribay Automotive) prepared photochromic gel nanocomposites by vat photopolymerization. The photocurable resin disperses WO₃ nanoparticles (about 29.7 nm) in a 1:1 water and ethylene-glycol solution with 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate (HEA) monomer, lithium perchlorate as an ion source, PEGDA as a crosslinker, and 3Dresyn Fine Tuner FT1 as the photoinitiator. The formulation cures at 405 nm and was 3D-printed by DLP.
Primary-source attribution: the Experimental section states that a fine tuner FT1 photoinitiator was supplied by 3Dresyns, added at about 0.1 wt% relative to the HEA monomer (with PEGDA at 1 wt%). This attribution does not extend to the rest of the resin: WO₃, HEA, PEGDA and the lithium salt were sourced separately.
- After curing, the WO₃ gel switches reversibly between a transparent colorless state and a dark-blue colored state under UV or sunlight, with coloration in under a minute and consistent reversibility over 16 cycles.
- At the formulation and device level, the gel reached luminous transmittance (Tlum) around 88% in the bleached state and solar modulation (ΔTsol) up to 75.96% at 35 mg/mL WO₃, blocking near-infrared radiation.
- In a double-glazed-window heat test under an IR lamp, a 25 mg/mL WO₃ gel kept the box interior around 35 °C, versus about 71 °C for a non-doped gel.
- The WO₃ nanoparticles did not significantly inhibit the UV cure; the low-viscosity resin cured fast, enabling DLP printing, with the best resolution-to-time ratio at 30 s exposure and 0.1 mm layers.
- All photochromic and thermal performance is a property of the complete WO₃ gel nanocomposite and the printed or assembled structures, not of FT1; FT1's role is to enable the 405 nm photopolymerization.
The paper calls FT1 a photoinitiator; 3Dresyns markets Fine Tuner FT1 as a fast photo accelerant (photoreactivity modifier) for UV-visible curing up to 410 nm. It is a formulation additive, not a ready-to-print resin.
Formulation and device-level results reported by the authors, not properties of neat FT1.
Which component does what
FT1 cures it; WO₃ colors it
- Fine Tuner FT1: the photoinitiating component that enables 405 nm photopolymerization of the acrylic formulation, so the gel can be cured and DLP-printed.
- WO₃ nanoparticles: the functional photochromic phase responsible for the reversible color change and the near-infrared blocking.
- Water and ethylene glycol, with lithium perchlorate: improve coloration kinetics and add anti-freezing and anti-drying stability.
- HEA and PEGDA: form the printed gel network (the matrix).
The reported performance is a property of this complete system, not of any single ingredient. The formulation containing Fine Tuner FT1 was used to photocure and DLP-print the WO₃-loaded acrylic gel nanocomposites that showed photochromic and heat-management behaviour.
Evidence at a glance
What the study used and reported
| Study | 3Dresyns material → role | Process | Reported result (formulation / device level) | Journal | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Photochromic WO₃ gel nanocomposites | Fine Tuner FT1 → photoinitiating component (about 0.1 wt% vs monomer) | DLP, 405 nm (Anycubic Photon Mono X 6K), 30 s / 0.1 mm | Reversible colorless to dark blue (under a minute, 16 cycles); Tlum ~88%, ΔTsol up to 75.96%; window kept interior ~35 °C vs ~71 °C | Macromol. Mater. Eng. | 2025 |
Mobile: scroll horizontally to view all columns; the first column stays visible. Every value is a whole-formulation or device-level result reported by the authors, not a neat-FT1 specification.
Research scope and attribution
What this study shows, and what it does not
This study shows that 3Dresyn Fine Tuner FT1 can serve as the photoinitiating component for a printable photochromic WO₃ gel formulation. It builds research credibility for FT1 in advanced photopolymer systems. It does not make FT1 a photochromic or smart-window product.
The cited study evaluates a WO3-loaded acrylic gel nanocomposite formulation containing Fine Tuner FT1 as the photoinitiating component. Reported values such as luminous transmission, solar optical modulation, heat-management behaviour, reversibility and DLP printability are properties of the complete formulation and printed gel structures, not neat FT1 specifications and not first-party performance claims by 3Dresyns.
- FT1 is a formulation additive (a photo accelerant), not a ready-to-print resin; reproducing these results requires formulation design and validation.
- The photochromism comes from the WO₃ nanoparticles; the matrix from HEA and PEGDA; FT1 enables the 405 nm cure.
- FT1 is the only 3Dresyns material named in the study.
- This is not a commercial smart-window product claim.
Related products
What the study used
The study used 3Dresyn Fine Tuner FT1 as the photoinitiating component of the WO₃ acrylic gel formulation. FT1 is a formulation additive, supplied for custom photopolymer development.
Frequently asked questions
What role does Fine Tuner FT1 play in this research?
FT1 is the photoinitiating component, used at about 0.1 wt% relative to the HEA monomer, that enables the 405 nm photopolymerization of the WO₃ acrylic gel formulation, so it can be cured and DLP-printed. The scientific results are reported by the authors.
Does this make FT1 a photochromic or smart-window product?
No. FT1 is a fast photo accelerant, a photopolymerization additive. The photochromic switching and heat-management performance are properties of the complete WO₃ gel nanocomposite and the printed structures, not of FT1. FT1 is a formulation additive, not a ready-to-print resin.
What did the study actually report?
After curing, the WO₃ gel switched reversibly between a transparent colorless state and a dark-blue colored state (coloration in under a minute, consistent over 16 cycles), reached luminous transmittance around 88% and solar modulation up to 75.96% at 35 mg/mL WO₃, and in a window test kept a box interior around 35 °C versus about 71 °C for a non-doped gel. All are formulation and device-level results reported by the authors.
Is FT1 confirmed in the paper, and how?
Yes. The Experimental section states that a fine tuner FT1 photoinitiator was supplied by 3Dresyns, used at about 0.1 wt% relative to the HEA monomer. This is a primary-source attribution, not a hub claim. The paper calls FT1 a photoinitiator; 3Dresyns markets it as a fast photo accelerant for UV-visible curing up to 410 nm.
Research materials
Research materials for photochromic and photopolymer formulations
3Dresyn Fine Tuner FT1 is the photoinitiating component behind the photochromic WO₃ gel research summarised on this page. As a fast photo accelerant for UV-visible curing up to 410 nm, FT1 lets research groups photocure custom acrylic formulations, including functional, filled and nanocomposite systems, on SLA, DLP, LCD and inkjet workflows. In the cited study it enabled the 405 nm photopolymerization and DLP printing of WO₃-loaded photochromic gels. For teams developing photochromic, smart-window or other functional photopolymer formulations, the product and resource links on this page correspond to the material named in the cited research. Reported figures are whole-formulation and device-level results, FT1 is a formulation additive rather than a ready-to-print resin, and reproducing the behaviour requires formulation design and validation.
Get the materials
The 3Dresyns material behind the photochromic WO₃ gel research on this page is Fine Tuner FT1, the photoinitiating component of the formulation, plus the technical resources to use it.
The cited study evaluates a WO3-loaded acrylic gel nanocomposite formulation containing Fine Tuner FT1 as the photoinitiating component. Reported values such as luminous transmission, solar optical modulation, heat-management behaviour, reversibility and DLP printability are properties of the complete formulation and printed gel structures, not neat FT1 specifications and not first-party performance claims by 3Dresyns.
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