Continuous Optical 3D Printing of Green Aliphatic Polyurethanes.

Area of Science:

• Polymer Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Biomaterials Engineering

Background:

• Developing advanced materials for 3D printing is crucial for creating complex structures.
• Green chemistry approaches are increasingly important for sustainable material synthesis.
• Biocompatible materials with tunable properties are needed for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize photosensitive polyurethanes (PUs) using a green chemistry pathway.
• To develop a continuous optical 3D printing method for these PUs.
• To demonstrate the ability to create gradient stiffness and complex microstructures with high cell viability.

Main Methods:

• Synthesized methacrylate-functionalized cyclic carbonate and biogenic amines via green chemistry.
• Developed a continuous optical 3D printing technique for the synthesized diurethanes.
• Investigated material stiffness tuning via exposure time and amine selection.
• Performed cytocompatibility testing using C3H 10T1/2 cells.

Main Results:

• Successfully prepared photosensitive diurethanes using a sustainable synthesis route.
• Achieved rapid 3D printing of gradient stiffness and complex microstructures.
• Demonstrated high optical transparency and tunable material stiffness of the green chemistry-derived polyurethane (gPU).
• Observed high cell viability (over 95%) on printed structures.

Conclusions:

• The developed green chemistry-based PU is suitable for high-resolution 3D printing of complex, biomimetic structures.
• The material offers tunable stiffness and excellent biocompatibility, showing promise for biomedical applications.
• Continuous optical 3D printing provides a rapid method for fabricating gradient materials.