Background & Motivation: Nanoparticle self-assembly techniques are often slow, low-resolution, and lack scalability, Sought to combine top-down 3D printing and bottom-up light-driven assembly for scalable optical nanostructures.

Challenges Faced: Precise nanoparticle alignment under confined conditions, Maintaining plasmonic properties during polymer embedding, Balancing polymer gelation, curing time, and rheological control for ink formulations.

Key Quantified Improvements: Achieved submicron resolution (spot size ~27 μm; waist ~13.5 μm) in guided AuNP alignment, Optimized polymer ink with a curing time of ~ 2 minutes and best stability for nanoparticle diffusion and optical assembly, Improved thermal stability of polymer/Au composite by ~17°C (TGA onset from 391°C to 408°C due to AuNPs), Controlled gelation temperatures: micellization at −13 to −16°C, gelation from ~0.5 to 35.5°C, SEM and EDS mapping showed successful Au nanonetwork assembly confined within 3D printed cylinders (1–2 mm in diameter)

Background & Motivation: Traditional composites suffer from non-uniform fiber alignment and low fiber volume fraction, limiting scalability and mechanical performance. The project aimed to overcome limitations in FDM 3D printing for engineering-grade composites by developing uniformly dispersed, aligned carbon fiber-reinforced filaments.

Challenges Faced: Filament breakage due to high carbon content during extrusion and spooling, Maintaining consistent fiber alignment and diameter tolerance during high-loading conditions (30 wt% CF), Voids introduced by high CF content, impacting crystallinity and toughness.

Key Quantified Improvements: Young’s modulus increased by 962% (from 1.10 GPa to 11.69 GPa), Tensile strength doubled: 102% improvement (from 76 MPa to 144 MPa), Specific strength rose by 54%, making the material stronger per unit weight, Thermal stability slightly enhanced: 3% weight loss temperature ~367°C for composites (vs 366°C for pure nylon), Thermal conductivity improved due to carbon addition.