3D Bioplotter Research Papers

Presented here is the synthesis of a 3D printable nano-polysaccharide self-healing hydrogel for flexible strain sensors. Consisting of three distinct yet complementary dynamic bonds, the crosslinked network comprises imine, hydrogen, and catecholato-metal coordination bonds. Self-healing of the hydrogel is demonstrated by macroscopic observation, rheological recovery, and compression measurements. The hydrogel was produced via imine formation of carboxyl methyl chitosan, oxidized cellulose nanofibers, and chitin nanofibers followed by two subsequent crosslinking stages: immersion in tannic acid (TA) solution to create hydrogen bonds, followed by soaking in FeIII solution to form catecholato-metal coordination bonds between TA and FeIII. The metal coordination bonds…

This article reports tunable crosslinking, reversible phase transition, and three-dimensional printing (3DP) of hyaluronic acid (HyA) hydrogels via dynamic coordination of Fe3+ ions with their innate carboxyl groups for the first time. The concentrations of Fe3+ and H+ ions and the reaction time determine the tunable ratios of mono-, bi-, and tridentate coordination, leading to the low-to-high crosslinking densities and reversible solid–liquid phase transition of HyA hydrogels. At the monodentate-dominant coordination, the liquid hydrogels have low crosslinking densities (HyA_L). At the mixed coordination of mono-, bi-, and tridentate bonding, the solid hydrogels have medium crosslinking densities (HyA_M). At the tridentate-dominant…

Dynamic hydrogels are prepared by either dynamic covalent bonds or supramolecular chemistry. Herein, we develop a dynamic hydrogel by combining both dynamic covalent bonds and supramolecular chemistry that exhibits environmentally adaptive self-healing and pH-tuning properties. To do so, we prepared a gelatin–nanopolysaccharide mixed hydrogel containing pyrogallol/catechol groups and trivalent metal ions. The as-prepared hydrogels are able to heal damage inflicted on them under acidic (pH 3 and 6), neutral (pH 7), and basic (pH 9) environments. The mechanism of healing at acidic and neutral pHs is dominated by coordination bonds between pyrogallol/catechol groups of tannic acid and ferric ions, whilst…