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. 2026 Jul 30;17:9219. doi: 10.1038/s41467-026-75988-5

3D-printed chiral luminous materials

Anqi Li 1,2,3,#, Shanshan Zhao 1,2,3,#, Mingjiang Zhang 1,2,3,#, Jing Lin 1,2,3, Yanji Huang 1,2,3, Zeyi Li 1,2,3, Guangen Li 1,2,3, Zhi Tong 1,2,3, Taotao Zhuang 1,2,3,✉
PMCID: PMC13522613  PMID: 42660920

Abstract

3D printing allows creation of complex, precise chiral luminous materials—with dynamically switchable, circularly polarized light emissions—enabling spatial control over light-matter interactions for advanced optical applications. However, high-performance, additively manufactured chiral materials have yet to be realized, because preservation of chiral molecular alignment and interlayer structural integrity during rapid curing or processing remains challenging. Here, we present an interfacial phase-separated polymerization strategy, allowing rapid and robust production of 3D chiral luminous materials. These stereo-architectures are fabricated via layer-by-layer curing within 20 seconds and, more importantly, displaying 360° omnidirectional chiral light emission with an asymmetry factor 0.6. Furthermore, a finding—chiral emission inversion, tuned by excitation-light circuit switching or z-axis growth-inducing in our system—is observed. The synthesized 3D printed chiral luminous materials with satisfactory precision (10 microns, the limit of printer) pave the way for multifunctional chiral optical devices.

Subject terms: Photonic crystals, Polymers, Polymerization mechanisms

Although 3D printing allows precise preparation of materials, it is challenging to prepare chiral materials by additive manufacturing. Here, the authors report a phase-separated polymerisation strategy that allows the preparation of 3D chiral luminous materials.

Introduction

Chiral luminous materials, which can generate and manipulate circularly polarized light with inherent spin selectivity, are essential for applications in quantum technologies1,2, spintronics3,4, advanced displays5,6, optical information storage7,8, and biosensing9–14. However, conventional strategies for achieving chiral luminescence remain largely confined to planar or layered architectures fabricated via self-assembly or templated growth6,15–19. This inherent limitation in structural dimensionality and geometric freedom poses a major barrier to realizing complex 3D chiral architectures required for next-generation photonic systems.

3D printing, which provides precise control over geometry, enables the high-resolution, free-form construction of complex architectures and thus offers a promising route toward scalable and customizable 3D chiral luminous materials20–22. Techniques such as direct ink writing23, digital light processing24–27, and two-photon polymerization28 have demonstrated significant potential in fabricating 3D chiral structures. However, existing 3D chiral luminous materials are often limited by intrinsic structural constraints, which hinder the simultaneous achievement of a high luminescence dissymmetry factor (gIum) and a high quantum yield—a combination critical for practical applications24–27. In addition, the integration of well-ordered chiral systems is challenged by the rapid photopolymerization inherent to 3D printing, while maintaining chiral continuity between layers during interfacial polymerization presents further difficulties29–33.

Here, we report 3D chiral luminous materials (3D-CLMs) exhibiting omnidirectional circularly polarized emission. These structures are fabricated via a designed interfacial phase-separated polymerization strategy that integrates photocurable resin monomers with pre-synthesized chiral luminescent components, enabling high-speed additive manufacturing. The resulting 3D-CLMs achieve a dissymmetry factor (gIum) of up to 0.6, representing an improvement over previously reported 3D-printed chiral luminescent materials24–27. We further demonstrate a fabrication accuracy of 10 μm, allowing the direct construction of self-supporting architectures with intricate geometries and well-defined chiral emission. This precise chiral optical control is essential for advanced photonic applications requiring accurate polarization manipulation34–40. Furthermore, 3D-CLM-based structures exhibit a chirality inversion phenomenon, achieved by tuning the light propagation path or controlling material growth along the z-axis, thereby enabling polarization-tunable photonic devices41–45.

Results

Additive manufacturing of chiral luminous materials

To obtain 3D-CLMs, we first conducted a 3D modeling and performed the slicing. The projection micro-stereolithography (PμSL) process46–48 was then applied to print chiral architectures (Fig. 1a) with a designed chiral polymer ink—composed of cholesteric liquid crystals system (CLCs system, Supplementary Fig. 1), acrylic polymer monomers mixture, and a small number of inorganic fillers (Supplementary Tables 1, 2). During printing, the chain propagation and crosslinking were triggered by the cleavage of C = C double bonds of the used polymer (Supplementary Fig. 2a), which increased viscosity and local crowding49,50. This subsequently induced phase separation into polymer- and liquid crystalline-rich regions, respectively. As a result, the well-defined helical superstructure of cholesteric liquid crystals was retained within the polymer network51,52 (i.e., phase fixation), preserving their intrinsic chiral optical activity throughout the printing process (Fig. 1b and Supplementary Fig. 2b).

Fig. 1. Design and fabrication of 3D-printed chiral structures with omnidirectional emission.

Fig. 1

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a Schematic diagram of the 3D printing process for chiral luminescent materials, including 3D modeling and slicing (i), chiral luminescent materials fabrication (ii), PμSL-based 3D printing (iii), and printed 3D-CLMs structure (iv). b Assembly and curing process of 3D-CLMs. c Schematic showing omnidirectional circularly polarized emission of 3D-CLMs. d Brightness intensity mapping of a 3D-printed cube (with a volume of 1 cm3), tested through a luminometer equipped with left- and right-handed circular polarizers (L-CP and R-CP), respectively. Scale bars 5 mm.

Based on our developed phase-separated polymerization strategy, we showed a cubic chiral luminescent structure that emits omnidirectional circularly polarized light (Fig. 1c)—exhibiting an obvious brightness difference under left- and right-handed circular polarizers (Fig. 1d). This evidenced the angular robustness of the printed structure’s chiroptical emission, as well as the formation and integrity of the polymer network structure (Supplementary Fig. 3). Additionally, a small number of inorganic fillers were doped into the printed ink to enhance the mechanical property and surface glossiness53,54 of 3D-CLMs (Supplementary Fig. 4).

Circularly polarized emission of 3D-CLMs

With a well-defined structure of 3D-CLMs, we then investigated their circularly polarized emissions. We found that 3D-CLMs exhibited excitation-path- and thickness-dependent circular polarization characteristics—that is, the polarization direction of the emitting light was allowed to change as the excitation propagation path or the 3D-CLMs’ thickness varied (Fig. 2a). We tuned the chiral dopant in our system and examined circularly polarized luminescent and circular dichroism spectra of the prepared 3D-CLMs (Fig. 2b, c and Supplementary Figs. 5, 6). For 3D-CLMs incorporating R-chiral dopants, samples with thicknesses below 100 μm emitted right-handed CPL in both transmission and reflection modes. When the thickness exceeded 100 μm, the transmitted emission switched completely to left-handed CPL (Fig. 2b). The opposite properties were obtained (Fig. 2c) with the printed system using S-chiral dopants, indicating that our chiral emission was able to be modulated through geometric tuning.

Fig. 2. Chiroptical properties.

Fig. 2

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a Schematic of reversible CPL handedness in 3D-CLMs tested using transmission and reflection light paths. CPL spectra of right- (b) and left-handed (c) 3D-CLMs with different thicknesses (50 µm–3 mm), measured in transmission (the left panel) and reflection light paths (the right panel), respectively. d Schematic of glum values of 3D-CLMs during a post-printing (24 h) tested in transmission (i) and reflection (ii) light paths. Data are the mean ± s.d.; n  =  3 independent experiments. e glum values of 3D-CLMs within 72 days. Data are the mean ± s.d.; n  =  3 independent experiments. f Emission intensity of 3D-CLMs as a function of polarization angle, where θ represents the transmission angle and r refers to the transmittance. g Photoluminescence spectra of 1 mm thick 3D-CLMs in reflection light paths measured through L-CP and R-CP, respectively.

In our engineering, a post-printing process was designed to achieve a stable 3D architecture with strong chiral emission. The glum value of the printed sample first increased and then slightly decreased during the evolution process after printing (Fig. 2d). This behavior might be attributed to the evolution of the internal microstructure during the post-printing process. Once stabilized, the 3D-CLMs’ chiroptical performance remained stable during extended storage, confirming the long-term structural and optical stability (Fig. 2e).

We further evaluated the circular polarization characteristics of the 3D-CLMs by measuring the transmittance of light passing through a quarter-wave plate followed by a rotating analyzer (Fig. 2f). The results revealed that either left- or right-handed circularly polarized light emitted from 3D-CLMs was converted into linearly polarized light with an orthogonal polarization plane, evidencing super circularly polarized luminescence. Furthermore, we also demonstrated the circular polarization effect by measuring the emission intensity using different rotation polarizers (Fig. 2g and Supplementary Fig. 7), exhibiting an obvious brightness difference. In addition, the 3D-CLMs revealed a high photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) (Supplementary Fig. 8).

Printing optimization

To enhance the adaptability of 3D printing for chiral luminous materials, we varied the CLCs system concentration (from 30% to 60%) of chiral polymer ink since it is a key to the balance between chiral response and mechanical strength55,56. We first conducted the Z-axis curing test to investigate the compositional effect on curing behavior. A 1 cm-diameter cylinder (Supplementary Fig. 9a) was made and exposed to UV irradiation at varying intensities, followed by cured thickness measurements (Fig. 3a, Supplementary Figs. 9b, 10a, and Supplementary Table 3). The results demonstrated that the more CLCs system concentrations reduced the curing depth and decreased the storage modulus, evidenced by the rheological analysis (Fig. 3b and Supplementary Fig. 10b). In other words, the photopolymers were able to reinforce the resin system’s mechanical integrity, thereby enhancing the stiffness and robustness of 3D-CLMs.

Fig. 3. Chiral polymer ink optimization for 3D printing.

Fig. 3

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a Z-axis curing behavior of right-handed chiral polymer ink with CLCs system concentrations ranging from 30% to 60%, evaluated by irradiating 2D square patterns and measuring the resulting cured thickness (along the Z-axis) as a function of irradiation energy (300–9600 mJ cm−2). b Photorheological analysis of right-handed chiral polymer ink under room-temperature oscillatory shear (0.2 Hz, 25% strain amplitude, 50 s duration). Evaluation of printing performance based on in-plane square area (x–y). The square areas (1 × 1 mm2) were printed under exposure times of 20, 30, and 40 s in (c), respectively. The printing resolution in (d) was evaluated through a test pattern including square areas of 4, 1, 0.25, and 0.0625 mm2, respectively. The center value represents the average surface area of three independent measurements (n = 3), and the error bars indicate 1 standard deviation. Compressive stress (e) and creep behavior (f) of 3D-CLMs (with 8-mm thickness), the strain rate is 10 mm min−1. g Schematic of the effect of CLCs system proportion on 3D-CLMs microstructure. h glum values of left- and right-handed 3D-CLMs with a thickness of 1 mm produced by the chiral polymer ink with different CLCs system concentrations. The center value represents the average maximum glum values of three independent measurements (n = 3), and the error bars indicate 1 standard deviation.

We then assessed the resin exposure time on print fidelity (Fig. 3c, d). Square test areas (1 × 1 mm2) were printed under varied exposure durations (Fig. 3c and Supplementary Fig. 11). The dimensional accuracy observed at 20, 30, and 40 s showed a negligible difference, concluding that a 20-s exposure is sufficient for complete curing. For resolution assessment, we designed and printed test patterns containing four square areas of different sizes (Supplementary Fig. 12). Excessively low (30%) and high (60%) CLCs system/photopolymer ratios caused significant dimensional deviations and greater feature variability (Fig. 3d and Supplementary Fig. 13), and the 40% CLCs system recipe was decided as the optimum.

We further performed compressive stress–strain measurements to examine mechanical performance, using the 8 mm-thick 3D-CLMs as the subject of investigation. When a uniform compressive stress was applied, the 3D-CLMs with 60% CLCs system exhibited the lowest compressive strength, indicating reduced structural resilience (Fig. 3e). Conversely, the sample with 30% CLCs system showed minimal creep deformation (Fig. 3f), as a lower CLCs system content yielded a denser polymer network, thus improving mechanical strength.

In 3D-CLMs, the CLC system critically governs both internal morphology and chiroptical performance. The low-content CLCs system exhibited weak chiroptical activity with negligible chiroptical components, whereas the excessive content failed to yield well-defined phase separation (Fig. 3g and Supplementary Fig. 14). These structural effects were further validated by the CPL spectra tested in transmission and reflection light paths, respectively (Fig. 3h and Supplementary Fig. 15), showing a highest asymmetry factor (glum) value of around 0.6.

Omnidirectionality and adaptability of 3D-CLMs

With the obtained 3D-CLMs, we achieved an omnidirectional circularly polarized emission, enabling the CPL detector to capture signals from any direction (Fig. 4a). This distinctive capability expanded the potential applications of CPL-based technologies, including security in extreme environments, underwater communication, and position detection in complex optical landscapes. To facilitate this measurement, we constructed a reflection light path to excite the sample and direct the emitted signals toward the detectors (Fig. 4b). The sample (1 cm3 cube, Fig. 4c) emitting circularly polarized light in all spatial directions was examined via a photoelectric detection device. By positioning the detector at six different angles around the printed cube, we recorded directional CPL intensities and calculated the corresponding asymmetry factors (Fig. 4d, Supplementary Figs. 16, 17 and Supplementary Table 4), confirming the omnidirectional chiral emission from the 3D-CLMs. Consistent omnidirectional responses were also validated using the fiber-optic and dedicated CPL spectrometer (Fig. 4e, Supplementary Figs. 16–18, and Supplementary Table 5), demonstrating platform-independent reliability of 3D-CLMs.

Fig. 4. 3D-CLMs with omnidirectional circularly polarized emission.

Fig. 4

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a Schematic of omnidirectional CPL detection of 3D-CLMs upon UV excitation. The detector position can be changed to measure CPL signals from different directions, demonstrating the omnidirectional emission behavior. b Schematic of the omnidirectional CPL detection path. The 3D-CLMs sample, upon UV excitation, emitted circularly polarized light passing through a left- or right-handed circular polarizer with selectivity, and it was detected by a detector. c Photograph of a 3D-CLM with a cube shape. Scale bar, 1 cm. d Photogalvanic asymmetry factors (gph) derived from intensity measurements using a photoelectric detector. Data are the mean ± s.d.; n  =  4 independent experiments. e glum values determined from emission intensity differences recorded by a fiber optic spectrometer. Data are the mean ± s.d.; n  =  3 independent experiments. f Photographs of various 3D-CLMs without and with UV excitation, respectively. Scale bars, 1 cm. g Detailed display of the 3D-printed laboratory logo model. Scale bars, 100 µm. h Schematic (i) and image (ii) of a 3D-printed photonic chip. Scale bar 100 µm. i Schematic (i) and image (ii) of a 3D-printed high-resolution chiral-photonic pattern. Scale bar 100 µm.

Additionally, we fabricated diverse 3D architectures demonstrating the structural versatility of 3D-CLMs (Fig. 4f, g). To evaluate adaptability for complex optical integration, we printed a photonic chip model (Fig. 4h), verifying 3D-CLMs’ capacity for intricate optical geometries. Given the resolution requirements of advanced photonic systems, we also quantified printing precision through feature fidelity analysis. As shown in Fig. 4i, the printed structures achieved sub-micron resolution—including but not limited to the equipment’s resolution (10 µm)—confirming the suitability of 3D-CLMs for high-precision fabrication in next-generation chiral optical and quantum photonic applications.

In conclusion, we developed a 3D printing strategy for chiral luminescent materials using projection micro-stereolithography. The printed 3D-CLMs exhibited omnidirectional CPL emission, with a maximum glum of up to 0.6. Moreover, we achieved the dynamic chiroptical modulation by simply changing the UV excitation direction. The advances establish 3D-CLMs as a promising platform for next-generation chiral photonic devices.

Methods

Materials

The nematic liquid crystal host E7 (n = 1.747, Tc = 60 °C) and the chiral dopants R/S5011 were purchased from Shijiazhuang Yesheng Chemical Technology Co. Ltd. The fluorescent dye coumarin 7 (C7, 98%) was purchased from Sigma Aldrich. The photocurable acrylic polymer monomers mixture (DVV-R6040), which is composed of branched polyester polyurethane acrylate oligomer, octadecyl acrylate, 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate, cyclopentadienyl acrylate, and photoinitiator TPO, was purchased from Shenzhen Sapience Technology Co. Ltd. The inorganic fillers (TiO2, <5 µm, ≥99% trace metals basis) were purchased from Damas-beta.

Preparation of chiral polymer ink

To prepare the ink, the CLCs system was first formulated by mixing E7 with 2.8 wt% R5011 and S5011, respectively. Then 1 wt% C7 was incorporated into the CLCs system and stirred at 60 °C for 2 h. The resulting CLC system was then blended with DVV-R6040 at a mass ratio of 2:3, with 1 wt% inorganic filler relative to the final mixture. The mixture was stirred thoroughly at room temperature for 4 h. The final chiral polymer ink was stored in the dark until used for 3D printing.

Fabrication of 3D-CLMs

3D printing was carried out using a commercial PμSL printer (microArch™ T20-P140, BMF) equipped with a 405 nm light source. The chiral polymer ink was printed layer by layer with a single-layer exposure time of 20 s, a layer thickness of 50 μm, and a light intensity of 50 mW cm-2.

Characterizations

Brightness intensity was measured on a brightness meter (Hopoocolor, CX1000). CD and DRCD spectra were measured on a JASCO J-1700 spectrophotometer. CPL spectra were measured on a JASCO CPL-300 spectrophotometer. Fluorescence spectra were measured on a fluorescence spectrometer (Hitachi, F-4700). POM images were recorded on an upright materials microscope (Mshot MP41). Fluorescence microscopy images were obtained using an upright fluorescence microscope (Olympus, BX53) under the excitation of a mercury lamp. The circular polarization characteristic of 3D-CLMs was demonstrated by converting CPL to linearly polarized light using a quarter-wave plate (QWP, 350–850 nm, Thorlabs), and then, the direction of linear polarization was discriminated by a rotating polarizer (400–700 nm, Thorlabs). Photorheological analysis of pristine chiral polymer ink was conducted using a rheometer (Anton Paar, MCR302). Compressive stress and creep tests of 3D-CLMs were performed using a mechanical testing system (Wance, TSE503C). SEM characterization of the 3D-CLMs was performed using a field-emission scanning electron microscope (Gemini SEM 500).FTIR spectra were collected using a Fourier transform infrared microscope (Nicolet iN10).

Supplementary information

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the UTSC Innovation Practical Basement for their institutional support, collaboration, and logistical assistance during field visits and research. This work was partially carried out at the USTC Center for Micro and Nanoscale Research and Fabrication. This work was partially carried out at the Instruments Center for Physical Science, USTC.

Author contributions

T.Z. conceived the idea and supervised the project. T.Z., A.L., S.Z., and M.Z. wrote the paper. A.L., S.Z., and M.Z. carried out the experiments and analyzed the results. S.Z., M.Z., and J.L. helped to prepare figures. G.iL., Z.L., Y.H., and Z.T. helped to collect the data. All authors discussed the results and assisted during manuscript preparation.

Peer review

Peer review information

Nature Communications thanks Wiktor Lewandowski, Hong-Kun Li, and the other, anonymous, reviewer(s) for their contribution to the peer review of this work. A peer review file is available.

Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grants 22471253 and 224B2116), the National Key Research and Development Program of China (Grant 2021YFA1500400), the CAS Talent Introduction Program (Grant KJ2060007002), the Anhui Provincial Natural Science Foundation (Grant BJ2060190120), and the Funding of University of Science and Technology of China (Grant KY2060000235).

Data availability

The data supporting the findings of this study have been deposited in the Zenodo repository and are available at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21473259. The data are available from the corresponding author on request.

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Footnotes

Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

These authors contributed equally: Anqi Li, Shanshan Zhao, Mingjiang Zhang.

Supplementary information

The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-75988-5.

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Associated Data

This section collects any data citations, data availability statements, or supplementary materials included in this article.

Data Availability Statement

The data supporting the findings of this study have been deposited in the Zenodo repository and are available at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21473259. The data are available from the corresponding author on request.

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