3D Printed Hierarchical Porous Poly(ε-caprolactone) Scaffolds from Pickering High Internal Phase Emulsion Templating

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Tissue Engineering
• Polymer Chemistry

Background:

• Increasing demand for hierarchical porous scaffolds in bone tissue engineering.
• 3D printing of biopolymer-based inks offers customizable and multifunctional scaffolds.
• Poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) is a promising biomaterial for tissue regeneration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate 3D printed hierarchical porous scaffolds using Pickering PCL high internal phase emulsions (HIPEs) as ink.
• To investigate the influence of emulsion composition and 3D printing parameters on scaffold properties.
• To evaluate the potential of these scaffolds for bone tissue engineering applications.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of PCL HIPEs stabilized with hydrophobically modified nanoclay.
• Utilizing Pickering PCL HIPEs as ink for 3D printing.
• Characterization of rheological behavior, pore morphology, and mechanical properties.
• In vitro biomineralization, drug release, and osteoblast (MG63) growth studies.

Main Results:

• Shear thinning behavior observed in Pickering HIPEs with droplet sizes of 3-25 μm.
• Customizable pore morphology and mechanical properties achieved through parameter tuning.
• Demonstrated potential for developing bioactive interphases and controlled drug delivery.
• Good adhesion and proliferation of MG63 cells on PCL scaffolds, confirming cytocompatibility.

Conclusions:

• 3D printing of PCL HIPEs is a viable approach for creating hierarchical porous scaffolds.
• The developed scaffolds show promise for bone tissue engineering applications.
• This method can be extended to other biopolymers for diverse biomedical applications.