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Published on: May 11, 2021
Nanostructure and Crystallinity Govern the Rheology and Printability of Cellulose-Based Bioinks.
Victor A da Silva1, Bita Raeisi1, Soumya Panda1
1Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Victoria, 3800 Finnerty Road, Victoria, BC V8P 5C2, Canada.
ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering
|May 28, 2026
Summary
Cellulose crystallinity in fibrin bioinks significantly impacts printability and mechanical properties. Cellulose nanocrystals enhance flow and shape fidelity, while cellulose nanofibers increase stiffness, offering tunable options for bioprinting.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Materials Engineering
- Tissue Engineering
Background:
- Growing interest in nanocellulose-based bioinks for bioprinting applications.
- Limited understanding of how cellulose crystallinity influences bioink properties like rheology, microarchitecture, and printability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the specific effects of cellulose crystallinity on fibrin bioink performance.
- To compare cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) and cellulose nanofibers (CNF) in fibrin bioinks (FIB).
Main Methods:
- Characterization of CNC-FIB, CNF-FIB, and CNC-CNF-FIB bioinks using ATR-FTIR, XRD, rheology, extrusion printability tests, and SEM.
- Analysis of crystallinity, flow behavior (Power-law), viscoelastic properties (tanδ), and microstructural anisotropy.
Main Results:
- Higher crystallinity in CNC (95.20%) compared to CNF (72.30%).
- CNC-FIB showed favorable low flow resistance (K=2.354), CNF-FIB high resistance (K=191.685), and CNC-CNF-FIB intermediate values.
- Printability correlated with tanδ values, with CNC-FIB (3.59) and CNC-CNF-FIB (1.63) showing better printability than CNF-FIB (0.141).
- Increased anisotropy observed in cellulose-containing bioinks.
Conclusions:
- Bioink performance is dictated by the interplay between crystalline order and network topology.
- CNC enhances processability and shape fidelity, whereas CNF improves stiffness at the cost of flow.
- Combined CNC/CNF formulations offer tunable properties for mechanically demanding bioprinting, relevant for bone and cartilage tissue engineering.
