October 6, 2025 – The first binder-free method for 3D printing glass has been developed by Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HU) researchers.  

This breakthrough, reported in Materials Today, makes glass printing faster, cleaner, and more precise, with the potential to revolutionize fields from optics to medicine by enabling custom, high-performance glass components that were previously impossible to manufacture. It uses light to trigger a chemical reaction that directly forms silica structures without the need for organic additives or extreme heat.

From fiber optics that carry internet traffic to microfluidic chips in medical diagnostics, glass’s transparency, durability, and chemical stability make it indispensable. 

Researchers use 3D printing to design glass objects with shapes and functions unimaginable in a traditional furnace. But nearly all glass-printing methods require chemical “glues”—organic binders that complicate the process and limit possibilities. 

Until now, 3D glass printing has required organic binders that must later be burned out, often causing cracks, shrinkage, or loss of resolution.  

Amir Reisinger, Natanel Jarach, and Prof. Shlomo Magdassi of the HU Institute of Chemistry developed a photo-induced inorganic sol-gel reaction as an alternative. When exposed to light, the material undergoes a controlled chemical transformation, solidifying without the need for binders. This approach eliminates organic additives, sidestepping the energy-intensive and wasteful steps that have long hampered glass 3D printing.  

“Glass is one of humanity’s oldest materials, but this approach brings it into the 21st century,” said Prof. Magdassi. “By making glass 3D printing cleaner and more versatile, we’re opening the door to applications that touch every aspect of modern life.” 

Key advances include: 

  • Commercial compatibility: Works with standard digital light processing (DLP) printers. 
  • Scalability: Produces centimeter-scale silica objects, not just tiny prototypes. 
  • Sustainability: Avoids the high temperatures and chemical waste of conventional methods. 
  • Performance: Results in porous glass with moderate transparency after a simple 250 °C treatment—far lower than the >1000 °C typical in glassmaking. 

The method could accelerate innovations in: 

  • Optics—customizable micro-lenses, filters, and waveguides. 
  • Biomedical engineering—implantable devices, scaffolds, and lab-on-a-chip platforms. 
  • Microfluidics—precision glass channels for drug testing and chemical research. 

The research paper titled “Stereolithography-based 3D printing of silica with solutions without organic binders” is now available in Materials Today and can be accessed here.

Researchers: 

Amir Reisinger, Natanel Jarach, and Shlomo Magdassi 

Institutions: 

The Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem