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Network modulation enables 3D-printed citrate-based polymer scaffolds with broadly tunable mechanical performance for
Ni Chen1, Nolan Schlessman1, Rao Fu1
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester MA 01609, USA. yding7@wpi.edu.
Journal of Materials Chemistry. B
|June 16, 2026
Summary
Researchers developed new citrate-based biomaterials for 3D printing, overcoming brittleness to create tunable scaffolds for tissue engineering. These advanced materials show promise for regenerative medicine applications.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
- Regenerative Engineering
Background:
- Tunable mechanical properties and tissue-mimetic features are crucial for advanced biomaterials.
- Photopolymerizable citrate-based polymers like methacrylate polydiolcitrate (mPDC) offer high-resolution 3D printing for regenerative engineering.
- Existing mPDC materials suffer from brittleness and limited mechanical tunability due to highly crosslinked networks.
Purpose of the Study:
- To engineer network strategies for methacrylate polydiolcitrate (mPDC) to overcome brittleness and enhance mechanical tunability.
- To investigate the effects of reactive diluents and chain transfer agents on mPDC network properties.
- To demonstrate application-specific performance of the engineered biomaterials in tissue engineering scaffolds.
Main Methods:
- Incorporation of acrylate-based reactive diluents (e.g., isobornyl acrylate, IBOA) and a thiol-based chain transfer agent (3,6-dioxa-1,8-octanedithiol, DOD) into mPDC formulations.
- Characterization of mechanical properties including Young's modulus, ultimate tensile strength, and strain at break.
- Assessment of printability, biodegradability, cell viability, and 3D scaffold performance for meniscus and vascular applications.
Main Results:
- Engineered mPDC composites exhibited significantly improved and broadly tunable mechanical properties (Young's modulus: 6.9-133.5 MPa; tensile strength: 1.8-18.3 MPa; strain at break: 14.2-60.6%).
- Isobornyl acrylate (IBOA) alone enhanced stiffness and toughness, while combined IBOA and DOD increased ductility up to 60.6% strain at break.
- All formulations maintained printability, tunable biodegradability, and cell support, with successful application in meniscus and vascular scaffolds.
Conclusions:
- Facile network-engineering strategies successfully addressed the brittleness of mPDC biomaterials.
- The developed platform offers broad mechanical tunability for diverse biomedical applications, from load-bearing to soft tissue engineering.
- The versatile biomaterials enabled application-specific performance in 3D-printed tissue scaffolds, demonstrating significant potential for regenerative medicine.
