Portrait of Quinten Thijssen

Hello, I'm Quinten.

I investigate how light can be used to program chemical reactions with high precision, enabling new materials and manufacturing technologies.

Featured research

Optical setup and dose maps for activating and inhibiting light in dual-wavelength volumetric printing

ChemRxiv · 2026 · Preprint

Antagonistic Dual-Wavelength Tomographic Volumetric Additive Manufacturing

Quinten Thijssen, Antonio J. Ortega, Felix Wechsler, et al.

This work introduces antagonistic dual-wavelength control to tomographic volumetric printing. One wavelength drives polymerization while a second locally suppresses it, providing an additional route for controlling material formation inside the resin volume.

Volumetrically printed fluoropolymer and its closed-loop chemical recycling

Nature Communications · 2026

Volumetric 3D Printing of a Fluoropolymer and Closed-Loop Chemical Recycling of its Fluorinated Content

Quinten Thijssen, Antonio Jaen-Ortega, Nele Pien, et al.

This study combines volumetric fabrication of a fluorinated polymer with closed-loop recovery of its fluorinated content. It connects rapid three-dimensional manufacturing with a chemical route for recovering a high-value molecular component.

Overview of polyester chemistry and light-based additive manufacturing

Chemical Reviews · 2026

Light-Based 3D Printing of Polyesters: From Synthesis to Fabrication

Quinten Thijssen, Astrid Quaak, Bart Bijleveld, et al.

This review examines the chemistry underlying light-based 3D printing of polyesters, from polymer synthesis and photochemical functionalization to resin formulation and fabrication.

Further selected work

Materials Horizons · 2024

Beyond Absorption Maxima: The Impact of Wavelength-Resolved Photochemistry on Materials Science

Quinten Thijssen, Joshua A. Carroll, Florian Feist, et al.

A perspective on why wavelength-dependent photochemical reactivity cannot be inferred from absorption maxima alone, and how action-plot information can guide materials design.

Progress in Polymer Science · 2023

From Pixels to Voxels: A Mechanistic Perspective on Volumetric 3D Printing

Quinten Thijssen, Joseph Toombs, Chi Chung Li, et al.

A mechanistic overview of volumetric additive manufacturing linking optical dose, polymerization kinetics, transport, and material response.

Advanced Materials · 2023

Volumetric Printing of Thiol-Ene Photo-Cross-Linkable Poly(ε-caprolactone): A Tunable Material Platform Serving Biomedical Applications

Quinten Thijssen, Astrid Quaak, Joseph Toombs, et al.

A thiol–ene poly(ε-caprolactone) platform for rapid volumetric fabrication of biodegradable materials with tunable properties.

Academic background

Education and appointments

2024–present

FWO Junior Postdoctoral Fellow, Ghent University

2024

PhD in Chemistry, Ghent University

Doctoral research supported by an FWO Strategic Basic Research Fellowship. Awarded with distinction/outstanding evaluation.

2019

MSc in Chemistry, Ghent University

Magna Cum Laude. Major in Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry.

2017

BSc in Chemistry, Ghent University

International experience

2025–2026

Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia

Research on dual-wavelength volumetric 3D printing in the group of Prof. Christopher Barner-Kowollik.

2022

University of California, Berkeley, USA

Research on volumetric 3D printing in the group of Prof. Hayden Taylor.

2019

University of the Basque Country, San Sebastian, Spain

Research on photoacids and photobases in the group of Prof. Haritz Sardon.