Melt Electrowriting of a Photo‐Crosslinkable Poly(ε‐caprolactone)‐Based Material into Tubular Constructs with Predefined Architecture and Tunable Mechanical Properties

Abstract

Front Cover: Melt electrowriting (MEW) is a novel additive manufacturing technique currently limited by the material selection. The cover image, by Tomasz Jungst and co‐workers in article number 2200097, depicts a construct made during the approach to establish new materials for MEW based on an acrylate‐endcapped urethane‐based polymer (AUP). Blending AUP with the gold‐standard material in MEW, poly‐(ε‐caprolacton), enables tailoring mechanical properties of constructs via photo‐crosslinking.

Materials and Strategies to Enhance Melt Electrowriting Potential

“…introduced photo‐crosslinkable moieties to PCL by synthesizing an acrylate‐endcapped urethane‐based polymer (AUP)‐modified PCL. [ 63 ] This material exhibited limited MEW processability but robust photo‐crosslinking postprinting capabilities. To enhance printability, AUP‐modified PCL was blended with commercial PCL, improving both printing behavior and mechanical properties through photo‐crosslinking.…”

3D Bioprinting in Microgravity: Opportunities, Challenges, and Possible Applications in Space

“…The shape of the deposited structures is preserved by temperature-induced solidification of the thermoplastic polymer, and the material properties can be altered after printing if the material enables post-process modification like light-induced crosslinking. [72] Due to the distance between nozzle and collector needing to be high enough to prevent unwanted electrical discharge, MEW is not a direct writing technique and deposition patterns must be adjusted for optimal shape fidelity. In addition, straight fibers can only be collected above the critical translation speed (CTS), which defines the speed at which fiber deposition transfers from sinusoidal to straight, as depicted in Figure 3B.…”

“…These materials have been reviewed recently but more alternatives are emerging, including processing bioinks in the presence of an electrical potential to reduce the strand diameter of deposited cell-laden material, termed "cell electrowriting". [69,72,87] So far, the thickness of the constructs that can be fabricated with MEW is limited as residual charges remain on the fibers, especially when the amount of stacked layers increases. These residual charges diminish the stacking accuracy and lead to defects.…”