Towards cell-adhesive, 4D printable PCL networks through dynamic covalent chemistry

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Biodegradable, cell-adhesive polymers and minimally invasive surgery are advancing healthcare.
• Novel chemical approaches enable multifunctional properties like self-healing and shape-memory in these materials.
• Scalable engineering of these materials without complex synthesis remains a challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a scalable, self-healable, biodegradable, and cell-adhesive poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL)-based vitrimer scaffold.
• To overcome limitations of traditional PCL materials using biobased dynamic covalent chemistry (DCC).
• To engineer a PCL scaffold with enhanced cell adhesion and regenerative properties.

Main Methods:

• Utilized imine exchange via dynamic covalent chemistry (DCC) for PCL-based vitrimer synthesis.
• Employed photopolymerization of PCL-dimethacrylate and vanillin-based imine.
• Fabricated polymer networks in varying proportions to achieve specific morphologies and properties.

Main Results:

• Developed a PCL-based vitrimer scaffold exhibiting self-healing, biodegradability, and cell adhesion.
• Achieved a water contact angle of 64°, improving upon PCL's inherent hydrophobicity.
• Demonstrated optimal shape fixity (91%) and recovery (92.5%) at physiological temperature (37 °C).
• Observed promotion of cell adhesion and proliferation, with reduced oxidative stress at defect sites.

Conclusions:

• Dynamic covalent chemistry (DCC) offers a scalable solution for engineering advanced PCL-based biomedical materials.
• The developed multifunctional scaffold shows significant potential for regenerative medicine and implant design.
• This approach paves the way for novel smart biomedical devices with complex geometries.