Zhang Xinlei, Guo Mingyu
State-Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Novel Functional Polymer Materials, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Functional Polymer Design and Application, Suzhou Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Design and Precision Synthesis, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China.
Macromol Rapid Commun. 2025 Jan;46(1):e2400576. doi: 10.1002/marc.202400576. Epub 2024 Sep 16.
Skinless, hierarchical porous 3D polymer scaffolds are of critical importance in tissue engineering, enabling improved cell infiltration, nutrient, metabolite and energy exchange, and biomimetic structures, crucial for regenerative medicine, drug delivery, and advanced material applications. However, it is still a great challenge to construct this kind of material with traditional 3D printing techniques. Herein, a novel simple, and versatile in situ precipitation-assisted direct-write-3D printing strategy for skinless, hierarchical porous 3D scaffolds is reported. Homogenous ink containing molecularly dissolved fructose (soluble porogen molecule) and polymer (whether it is hydrophilic, hydrophobic or amphiphilic) is directly extruded into a nonsolvent bath, where simultaneously solidification of the polymer and in situ precipitation of the porogen molecules both on the exterior surface and inside the separated polymer fibers happen. Subsequently, by simply leaching the in situ formed porogen particles, skinless hierarchical porous polymeric 3D scaffolds can be obtained. It is believed that 3D printing, polymer/macromolecule-based scaffolds, especially the skinless hierarchical porous biomaterials, and the tissue engineering market can benefit tremendously from this simple and versatile approach.
无皮分层多孔3D聚合物支架在组织工程中至关重要，它能促进细胞浸润、营养物质、代谢产物和能量交换，并形成仿生结构，这对再生医学、药物递送和先进材料应用至关重要。然而，用传统3D打印技术构建这种材料仍然是一个巨大的挑战。在此，报道了一种新颖、简单且通用的原位沉淀辅助直接写入3D打印策略，用于制备无皮分层多孔3D支架。含有分子溶解的果糖（可溶性致孔剂分子）和聚合物（无论是亲水性、疏水性还是两亲性）的均匀墨水被直接挤出到非溶剂浴中，在那里聚合物同时固化，致孔剂分子在外表面和分离的聚合物纤维内部原位沉淀。随后，通过简单地浸出原位形成的致孔剂颗粒，就可以获得无皮分层多孔聚合物3D支架。相信3D打印、基于聚合物/大分子的支架，尤其是无皮分层多孔生物材料以及组织工程市场将从这种简单通用的方法中受益匪浅。
