Screening of modular supramolecular star polymers for 3D printing of biomedical devices

Hart, Lewis R.; Touré, Adja B.R.; Owen, Robert; Putri, Nur R.E.; Hague, Richard J.M.; Alexander, Morgan R.; Rose, Felicity R.A.J.; Zhou, Zuoxin; Irvine, Derek J.; Ruiz-Cantu, Laura; Turyanska, Lyudmila; He, Yinfeng; Hayes, Wayne; Wildman, Ricky D.

Abstract

Identifying suitable materials for additive manufacturing and 3D printing is a challenging task and there is a need to streamline the processes to achieve more rapid adoption of new feedstocks. We have developed a process of using modular supramolecular polymers where individual moieties can be modified in order to achieve a variance in properties. We synthesised a library of 64 polymers and performed a systematic sequence of screening steps to identify preferred candidates for an exemplar printing modality and application. The library was screened for materials amenable to inkjet based 3D printing, then refined to those that had mechanical and biological performance suitable for use in articular cartilage repair, and supported chondrocyte growth. The lead candidate was fabricated into macroscopic architectures with intricate designs, including structure of knee cartilage as a demonstrator of potential application. This strategy for screening materials for specific applications could accelerate the translation of new materials for additive manufacture of novel devices.

Citation

Hart, L. R., Touré, A. B., Owen, R., Putri, N. R., Hague, R. J., Alexander, M. R., Rose, F. R., Zhou, Z., Irvine, D. J., Ruiz-Cantu, L., Turyanska, L., He, Y., Hayes, W., & Wildman, R. D. (2025). Screening of modular supramolecular star polymers for 3D printing of biomedical devices. Materials Today Communications, 45, Article 112206. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mtcomm.2025.112206

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Mar 11, 2025
• Online Publication Date: Mar 13, 2025
• Publication Date: 2025-03
• Deposit Date: Apr 2, 2025
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 2, 2025
• Journal: Materials Today Communications
• Electronic ISSN: 2352-4928
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 45
• Article Number: 112206
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mtcomm.2025.112206
• Keywords: Modular polymers; Additive manufacturing; Material screening; Cartilage; Regenerative medicine; Biomaterial discovery
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/46582092
• Publisher URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352492825007184?via%3Dihub
• Additional Information: This article is maintained by: Elsevier; Article Title: Screening of modular supramolecular star polymers for 3D printing of biomedical devices; Journal Title: Materials Today Communications; CrossRef DOI link to publisher maintained version: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mtcomm.2025.112206; Content Type: article; Copyright: © 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.