Extrusion-Based 3D Printing of Photocrosslinkable Chitosan Inks
Photocuring of chitosan has shown great promise in the extrusion-based 3D printing of scaffolds for advanced biomedical and tissue engineering applications. However, the poor mechanical stability of methacrylated chitosan photocuring ink restricts its applicability. The inclusion of co-networks by m...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2024-02-01
|
| Series: | Gels |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2310-2861/10/2/126 |
| _version_ | 1797298140997484544 |
|---|---|
| author | Ane García-García Leyre Pérez-Álvarez Leire Ruiz-Rubio Asier Larrea-Sebal Cesar Martin José Luis Vilas-Vilela |
| author_facet | Ane García-García Leyre Pérez-Álvarez Leire Ruiz-Rubio Asier Larrea-Sebal Cesar Martin José Luis Vilas-Vilela |
| author_sort | Ane García-García |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Photocuring of chitosan has shown great promise in the extrusion-based 3D printing of scaffolds for advanced biomedical and tissue engineering applications. However, the poor mechanical stability of methacrylated chitosan photocuring ink restricts its applicability. The inclusion of co-networks by means of simultaneous polycomplex formation is an effective method by which to solve this drawback, but the formed hydrogel inks are not printable. This work aims to develop new photocurable chitosan inks based on the simultaneous photocrosslinking of methacrylated chitosan (CHIMe) with N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide, polyethylene glycol diacrylate, and acrylic acid to be applied in extrusion 3D printing. Interestingly, the polycomplex co-network corresponding to the acrylic-acid-based ink could be successfully printed by the here-presented simultaneous photocuring strategy. Further, the conversion of photocrosslinking was studied via photo-DSC analyses that revealed a clear dependence on the chemical structure of the employed crosslinking agents (from 40 to ~100%). In addition, the mechanical and rheological properties of the photocured hydrogels were comparatively studied, as well as the printing quality of the extruded scaffolds. The newly developed chitosan photocurable inks demonstrated extrusion printability (squareness ~0.90; uniformity factor ~0.95) and tunable mechanical properties (Young modulus 14–1068 Pa) by means of different crosslinking approaches according to the chemical architecture of the reactive molecules employed. This work shows the great potential of photocrosslinkable chitosan inks. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T22:31:37Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5e34e776963342139a3df47edaf23ce4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2310-2861 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T22:31:37Z |
| publishDate | 2024-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Gels |
| spelling | doaj.art-5e34e776963342139a3df47edaf23ce42024-02-23T15:17:32ZengMDPI AGGels2310-28612024-02-0110212610.3390/gels10020126Extrusion-Based 3D Printing of Photocrosslinkable Chitosan InksAne García-García0Leyre Pérez-Álvarez1Leire Ruiz-Rubio2Asier Larrea-Sebal3Cesar Martin4José Luis Vilas-Vilela5Grupo de Química Macromolecular (LABQUIMAC), Departamento de Química Física, Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad del País Vasco (UPV/EHU), 48940 Leioa, SpainGrupo de Química Macromolecular (LABQUIMAC), Departamento de Química Física, Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad del País Vasco (UPV/EHU), 48940 Leioa, SpainGrupo de Química Macromolecular (LABQUIMAC), Departamento de Química Física, Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad del País Vasco (UPV/EHU), 48940 Leioa, SpainBiofisika Institute (UPV/EHU, CSIC), UPV/EHU Science Park, 48940 Leioa, SpainBiofisika Institute (UPV/EHU, CSIC), UPV/EHU Science Park, 48940 Leioa, SpainGrupo de Química Macromolecular (LABQUIMAC), Departamento de Química Física, Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad del País Vasco (UPV/EHU), 48940 Leioa, SpainPhotocuring of chitosan has shown great promise in the extrusion-based 3D printing of scaffolds for advanced biomedical and tissue engineering applications. However, the poor mechanical stability of methacrylated chitosan photocuring ink restricts its applicability. The inclusion of co-networks by means of simultaneous polycomplex formation is an effective method by which to solve this drawback, but the formed hydrogel inks are not printable. This work aims to develop new photocurable chitosan inks based on the simultaneous photocrosslinking of methacrylated chitosan (CHIMe) with N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide, polyethylene glycol diacrylate, and acrylic acid to be applied in extrusion 3D printing. Interestingly, the polycomplex co-network corresponding to the acrylic-acid-based ink could be successfully printed by the here-presented simultaneous photocuring strategy. Further, the conversion of photocrosslinking was studied via photo-DSC analyses that revealed a clear dependence on the chemical structure of the employed crosslinking agents (from 40 to ~100%). In addition, the mechanical and rheological properties of the photocured hydrogels were comparatively studied, as well as the printing quality of the extruded scaffolds. The newly developed chitosan photocurable inks demonstrated extrusion printability (squareness ~0.90; uniformity factor ~0.95) and tunable mechanical properties (Young modulus 14–1068 Pa) by means of different crosslinking approaches according to the chemical architecture of the reactive molecules employed. This work shows the great potential of photocrosslinkable chitosan inks.https://www.mdpi.com/2310-2861/10/2/126methacrylated chitosanphotocrosslinkingextrusion printing |
| spellingShingle | Ane García-García Leyre Pérez-Álvarez Leire Ruiz-Rubio Asier Larrea-Sebal Cesar Martin José Luis Vilas-Vilela Extrusion-Based 3D Printing of Photocrosslinkable Chitosan Inks Gels methacrylated chitosan photocrosslinking extrusion printing |
| title | Extrusion-Based 3D Printing of Photocrosslinkable Chitosan Inks |
| title_full | Extrusion-Based 3D Printing of Photocrosslinkable Chitosan Inks |
| title_fullStr | Extrusion-Based 3D Printing of Photocrosslinkable Chitosan Inks |
| title_full_unstemmed | Extrusion-Based 3D Printing of Photocrosslinkable Chitosan Inks |
| title_short | Extrusion-Based 3D Printing of Photocrosslinkable Chitosan Inks |
| title_sort | extrusion based 3d printing of photocrosslinkable chitosan inks |
| topic | methacrylated chitosan photocrosslinking extrusion printing |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2310-2861/10/2/126 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT anegarciagarcia extrusionbased3dprintingofphotocrosslinkablechitosaninks AT leyreperezalvarez extrusionbased3dprintingofphotocrosslinkablechitosaninks AT leireruizrubio extrusionbased3dprintingofphotocrosslinkablechitosaninks AT asierlarreasebal extrusionbased3dprintingofphotocrosslinkablechitosaninks AT cesarmartin extrusionbased3dprintingofphotocrosslinkablechitosaninks AT joseluisvilasvilela extrusionbased3dprintingofphotocrosslinkablechitosaninks |