“Materials Chemistry” University of Birmingham: 3D printing non-isocyanate polyurethane hydrogel

3D printable hydrogel in
biology
medicine
The use in the application has attracted considerable attention because it can precisely define the shape of the printed object to meet the needs of the patient. However, most hydrogels do not have suitable mechanical properties to meet sufficient printability and rheological properties. Therefore, 3D printing of cross-linked networks is challenging and usually requires modification after printing to obtain the required scaffold.

Recently, researchers have used the crystallization process of poly(ethylene glycol) to print non-isocyanate poly(hydroxyurethane) hydrogels with adjustable mechanical properties. Due to the crystallization process, the hydrogel modulus can be adjusted to 3 orders of magnitude when heated to 40°C, which provides an interesting strategy for direct 3D printing of hydrogels without post-printing cross-linking. In addition, the lack of any toxicity makes these materials ideal candidates for biomedical applications.

Related papers were published on “Chemistry of Materials” with the title Crystallization-Induced Gelling as a Method to 4D Print Low-Water-Content Non-isocyanate Polyurethane Hydrogels. The corresponding authors are Professor Haritz Sardon from Joxe Mari Korta Center in Spain and Professor Andrew P. Dove from the University of Birmingham.

references:

doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemmater.1c00913

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