Use of Polyhydroxyalkanoates for Preparation of 3D Printable Hydrogels

abstract

English

Hydrogels are an interesting and significant class of materials with diverse applications in several fields of biomedical field. Their prominence is continuously growing due to their unique properties dependent on the nature of the (bio)polymer from which they are prepared. In the most cases, hydrogels are composed of a hydrophilic cross-linked polymer permeating the entire dispersion medium (water). As well as their mechanical properties, these materials have a structure similar to the macromolecular composition of the human body’s tissues. For this as one of many reasons, their research has led to the development of the new hydrogel materials for biomedicine, such as scaffolds or implants [1]. Various biomaterials and manufacturing methods, including 3D printing, have emerged to produce patientspecific bioactive scaffolds. Additive manufacturing has become a popular technology for fabricating implants with the potential to heal critical-sized defects [2]. Moreover, the geometry of the implants can be tailored to meet patient-specific defect needs. Focusing on tissue engineering, polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) have attracted considerable interest in the biomedical industry [3]. As intracellular biopolyesters produced by various microorganisms, they possess several valuable properties. These include biodegradability, biocompatibility and wide range of mechanical properties that are due to the diversity of PHAs. Since the final mechanical properties of hydrogels depend on their (bio)polymeric material, PHAs seem to be a very suitable source for their use in tissue engineering [4]. The main limitation of using PHAs in hydrogel chemistry is their hydrophobic nature, which is incompatible with hydrogel principles. Herein, we overcame this limitation using a solvent-exchange method. This method involves dissolving the polymer in a suitable water miscible solvent, such as DMSO or acetic acid [5], and then exchanging the solvent with water to form hydrogels. We designed hydrogels based on different types of PHAs and with the incorporation of additives. The effect of varying the composition, solvent or solvent exchange method on mechanical properties of hydrogels has been compared. The use of PHAs in 3D printing of hydrogels has been described as well.

3D printing, polyhydroxyalkanoates, hydrogels

ČERNEKOVÁ, N.; KADLECOVÁ, Z.; SEDLÁČEK, P.; SMILEK, J.; VOJTOVÁ, L.; KOVALČÍK, A.

12. 9. 2024

Brno, Czech Republic

113

https://www.fch.vut.cz/chl/konference/program/bookofabstracts-pdf-p269547