In this study, including Cluster Postdoctoral Researcher Aleksandra Vranic, Doctoral Researcher Jonathan L. G. Schneider, Principal Investigators Martin Wegener and Stefan Bräse, and Cluster Alumnus Pascal Rietz, a systematic investigation of new photoinitiators for two-step absorption–based 3D laser nanoprinting is presented. The authors synthesized 23 benzil-based (1,2-diketone) molecules and evaluated their solubility, printability, and required laser power; fourteen enabled stable 3D microstructures using a single 405 nm continuous-wave laser. Two-step absorption relies on real excited states instead of simultaneous two-photon excitation, enabling polymerization at lower laser power with simpler setups. Systematic molecular variation revealed clear structure–performance correlations, supporting more energy-efficient and accessible micro- and nanofabrication strategies.
© Vranic et al., ChemPhotoChem (2026), CC BY 4.0.