Applicability of near-field electrospinning for the development of TCP-based thin fibres and scaffold 3D printing

Abstract

A novel method for obtaining ceramic (tricalcium phosphate, TCP) fibres with a small diameter (below 0.1 mm) is proposed and its potential use in the 3D printing of scaffolds for biomedical applications is explored. An ink consisting of a high solid content (40 vol%) ceramic slurry in a photocurable resin was prepared and extruded using near-field electrospinning. The influence of the electric potential, flow rate, and distance between tip and collector on the fabrication process in static mode were studied and the role played by unidirectional motion of the collector was also analyzed. A one order of magnitude reduction in the diameter of the jet to around 30 μm is demonstrated under static conditions, which increased to around 100 μm when collector was displaced. Continuous fibres were deposited but the slurry spread over the collector. The method was implemented on a DIW system, using in-flight UV light curing to prevent the spreading of the ink upon deposition. The feasibility of the strategy was demonstrated, although challenges remain for the optimization and control of the fabrication process. Nevertheless, these preliminary results suggest this could be a promising alternative to produce 3D ceramic scaffolds for biomedical applications with improved spatial resolution.