Vat photopolymerization, which includes stereolithography (SLA) and digital light processing (DLP), is a high-resolution additive manufacturing technique capable of fabricating scaffolds with complex geometries for biomedical applications. Such scaffolds must provide appropriate chemical, mechanical, and structural properties to support cell adhesion, proliferation, differentiation, and the transport of nutrients and metabolites. SLA and DLP require suitable polymeric materials that undergo UV photopolymerization. However, the limited availability of low-molecular-weight photocurable resins, together with the high rigidity, hydrophobicity, and poor biocompatibility of many commercial options, as well as difficulties in removing residual monomers, highlight the need for new resins with improved biocompatibility and enhanced cellular adhesion. In this study, given the established biocompatibility of polyurethanes, we synthesized hybrid poly(urethane/acrylate) resins. The results show that structural modifications to the prepolymer polyester polyols, poly(butylene adipate) (PBA) and poly(butylene adipate-co-maleate) (PBAM), synthesized with molecular weight control via kinetic evaluation, modulate the mechanical properties. Formulations based on PBAM yielded 3D printed parts with reduced stiffness and greater flexibility and elongation compared with commercial resins. Additionally, PBA based formulations exhibited lower apparent cytotoxicity in HaCaT human keratinocyte cell-viability assays. To further promote cell adhesion and response, beyond the contribution of carbamate polar groups, we selected polyester polyols rather than polyether polyols, as the soft segment. Additionally, the hybrid structures were end-capped with hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA). Finally, DLP printing of formulations comprising the hybrid resins blended with commercial resins, using phenylbis(2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl)phosphine oxide (BAPO) as the photoinitiator, produced UV photocurable materials that yielded scaffolds supporting cell adhesion with moderate cytotoxicity.
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