3D Bioplotter Research Papers

Nano-reinforcement plays a crucial role in enhancing the mechanical properties, printability, and structural integrity of hydrogels for scaffold fabrication. This study explores the potential of TEMPO-oxidized nanocellulose (TONCs) derived from coffee parchment as a reinforcing agent in sodium alginate hydrogels for extrusion-based 3D printing of biphasic osteochondral scaffolds. TONCs were synthesized via TEMPO-mediated oxidation using sodium hypochlorite at 5, 10, 15, and 20 mmol/g, yielding cellulose nanofibers (TOCNFs: TONC-5, TONC-10) and cellulose nanocrystals (TOCNCs: TONC-15, TONC-20). Rheological analysis revealed that TONC-10-reinforced hydrogels exhibited the highest yield stress (75.2 Pa), consistency coefficient (323.8 Pa sⁿ), and printability index (0.929), attributed to…

Eco-friendly materials are increasingly important for several applications due to growing environmental concerns, including in robotics and medicine. Within robotics, silicone-based soft grippers are recently developed owing to their high adaptability and versatility allowing to deal with various objects. However, the soft grippers are difficult to recycle and may cause increased environmental impact. Here biodegradable soft pneumatic actuators reinforced by cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) distributed in a matrix of gelatin are presented. The results show that adding CNF enables 3D printability and provides tunable mechanical properties for the actuators. The actuator performance, with a bending angle of 80° and a blocked…

A functional bioink with potential in bone tissue engineering must be subjected to critical investigation throughout its intended lifespan. The aim of this study was to develop alginate–gelatin-based (Alg–Gel) multicomponent bioinks systematically and to assess the short- and long-term exposure responses of human bone marrow stromal cells (hBMSCs) printed within these bioinks with and without crosslinking. The first generation of bioinks was established by incorporating a range of cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs), to evaluate their effect on viscosity, printability and cell viability. Adding CNFs to Alg–Gel solution increased viscosity and printability without compromising cell viability. In the second generation of bioinks,…

Additive manufacturing (AM) is widely recognized as a versatile tool for achieving complex geometries and customized functionalities in designed materials. However, the challenge lies in selecting an appropriate AM method that simultaneously realizes desired microstructures and macroscopic geometrical designs in a single sample. This study presents a direct ink writing method for 3D printing intricate, high-fidelity macroscopic cellulose aerogel forms. The resulting aerogels exhibit tunable anisotropic mechanical and thermal characteristics by incorporating fibers of different length scales into the hydrogel inks. The alignment of nanofibers significantly enhances mechanical strength and thermal resistance, leading to higher thermal conductivities in the longitudinal…

Cellulose is an attractive material resource for the fabrication of sustainable functional products, but its processing into structures with complex architecture and high cellulose content remains challenging. Such limitation has prevented cellulose‐based synthetic materials from reaching the level of structural control and mechanical properties observed in their biological counterparts, such as wood and plant tissues. To address this issue, a simple approach is reported to manufacture complex‐shaped cellulose‐based composites, in which the shaping capabilities of 3D printing technologies are combined with a wet densification process that increases the concentration of cellulose in the final printed material. Densification is achieved by…