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Chitosan ducts fabricated by extrusion-based 3D printing for soft-tissue engineering
1Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials Chemical and Physics, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
Carbohydrate Polymers
|March 17, 2020
Summary
Chitosan (CS) ducts were manufactured using 3D printing with glycolic acid (GA) as the optimal solvent. These 3D printed CS ducts show excellent mechanical properties and biocompatibility for soft-tissue restoration.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Tissue Engineering
- Polymer Chemistry
Background:
- Developing functional biomaterials for soft-tissue restoration is crucial.
- Chitosan (CS) is a promising biopolymer due to its biocompatibility and biodegradability.
- Optimizing processing methods for chitosan is essential for creating effective tissue engineering scaffolds.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the manufacturing of chitosan (CS) ducts using extrusion and 3D printing techniques.
- To determine the optimal acidic solvent and concentration for CS slurry preparation.
- To evaluate the mechanical properties, printability, and biocompatibility of the fabricated CS ducts for soft-tissue applications.
Main Methods:
- CS slurries were prepared using formic acid (FA), acetic acid (AA), glycolic acid (GA), and lactic acid (LA).
- Tensile properties and cytotoxicity were assessed to select the optimal CS slurry ratio.
- 3D printability, tensile strength, Young's modulus, and fracture strain were evaluated.
- Mechanical properties were compared to soft-tissue requirements.
Main Results:
- The optimal solvent for CS was determined to be a 30 wt.% GA solution.
- CS slurry exhibited shear-thinning properties, making it suitable for 3D printing.
- The 3D printed CS rods demonstrated tensile strength of 10.98 ± 0.61 MPa, Young's modulus of 12.38 ± 1.19 MPa, and fracture strain of 146.03 ± 15.05 %.
- The fabricated CS ducts showed excellent mechanical matching to soft-tissue and outstanding biocompatibility.
Conclusions:
- 3D printing with a 30 wt.% GA solution is an effective method for producing chitosan ducts.
- The resulting chitosan ducts possess mechanical properties suitable for soft-tissue restoration.
- These findings highlight the potential of 3D printed chitosan for advanced soft-tissue engineering applications.
