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Extrusion-Based 3D Printing of Photocrosslinkable Chitosan Inks.
Ane García-García1,2, Leyre Pérez-Álvarez1,2, Leire Ruiz-Rubio1,2
1Grupo de Química Macromolecular (LABQUIMAC), Departamento de Química Física, Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad del País Vasco (UPV/EHU), 48940 Leioa, Spain.
Gels (Basel, Switzerland)
|February 23, 2024
Summary
Researchers developed new 3D printable chitosan inks for tissue engineering. These inks overcome poor mechanical stability, enabling successful scaffold printing with tunable properties.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Tissue Engineering
- Polymer Chemistry
Background:
- Chitosan photocuring shows promise for 3D printed scaffolds in biomedical applications.
- Poor mechanical stability of methacrylated chitosan limits its use in extrusion-based 3D printing.
- Simultaneous polycomplex formation improves hydrogels but hinders printability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop novel photocurable chitosan inks for extrusion 3D printing.
- To address the limitations of poor mechanical stability and printability in chitosan-based inks.
- To investigate the effect of different crosslinking agents on ink properties and printability.
Main Methods:
- Simultaneous photocrosslinking of methacrylated chitosan (CHIMe) with various crosslinking agents (N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide, polyethylene glycol diacrylate, acrylic acid).
- Photo-differential scanning calorimetry (photo-DSC) to analyze photocrosslinking conversion.
- Mechanical and rheological property testing of photocured hydrogels.
- Evaluation of scaffold printing quality using extrusion 3D printing.
Main Results:
- An acrylic-acid-based chitosan ink demonstrated successful printability via simultaneous photocuring.
- Photocrosslinking conversion varied significantly (40% to ~100%) based on crosslinker chemical structure.
- The developed inks exhibited excellent extrusion printability (squareness ~0.90, uniformity ~0.95).
- Tunable mechanical properties (Young's modulus 14-1068 Pa) were achieved by altering crosslinking strategies.
Conclusions:
- Novel photocurable chitosan inks with enhanced printability and tunable mechanical properties were successfully developed.
- The simultaneous photocuring strategy is effective for creating printable chitosan-based hydrogel inks.
- These findings highlight the potential of these advanced chitosan inks for extrusion 3D printing in tissue engineering and biomedical applications.
