Direct Ink Writing of Biodegradable Elastic Scaffolds <italic style="font-style: italic">via</italic> Rapid Thiol-Acrylate Photocrosslinking

Xiao-Yu Li; Chong-Guang Li; Kai Chen; Yan Xiao; Xin-Xin Li; Mei-Dong Lang

doi:10.1007/s10118-026-3582-0

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Direct Ink Writing of Biodegradable Elastic Scaffolds via Rapid Thiol-Acrylate Photocrosslinking

RESEARCH ARTICLE | Updated：2026-04-30

- Direct Ink Writing of Biodegradable Elastic Scaffolds via Rapid Thiol-Acrylate Photocrosslinking
- Chinese Journal of Polymer Science Vol. 44, Issue 5, Pages: 1489-1501(2026)
- Affiliations：
  
  a.Shanghai Key Laboratory of Advanced Polymeric Materials, Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
  b.Key Laboratory of Specially Functional Polymeric and Related Technology (Ministry of Education), School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
- Author bio：
  
  yxiao@ecust.edu.cn (Y.X.)
  xinxinli@ecust.edu.cn (X.X.L.)
  mdlang@ecust.edu.cn (M.D.L.)
- Funds：
- DOI：10.1007/s10118-026-3582-0
  CLC：
- Received：21 December 2025，
  
  Accepted：20 January 2026，
  
  Online First：07 April 2026，
  
  Published：05 May 2026
- Accepted：
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Li, X. Y.; Li, C. G.; Chen, K.; Xiao, Y.; Li, X. X.; Lang, M. D. Direct ink writing of biodegradable elastic scaffolds via rapid thiol-acrylate photocrosslinking. Chinese J. Polym. Sci. 2026, 44, 1489–1501

Xiao-Yu Li, Chong-Guang Li, Kai Chen, et al. Direct Ink Writing of Biodegradable Elastic Scaffolds via Rapid Thiol-Acrylate Photocrosslinking[J]. Chinese Journal of Polymer Science, 2026, 44(5): 1489-1501.
Li, X. Y.; Li, C. G.; Chen, K.; Xiao, Y.; Li, X. X.; Lang, M. D. Direct ink writing of biodegradable elastic scaffolds via rapid thiol-acrylate photocrosslinking. Chinese J. Polym. Sci. 2026, 44, 1489–1501 DOI： 10.1007/s10118-026-3582-0.

Xiao-Yu Li, Chong-Guang Li, Kai Chen, et al. Direct Ink Writing of Biodegradable Elastic Scaffolds via Rapid Thiol-Acrylate Photocrosslinking[J]. Chinese Journal of Polymer Science, 2026, 44(5): 1489-1501. DOI： 10.1007/s10118-026-3582-0.

摘要

The incorporation of thiol-functionalized poly(ethylene glycol) (PEGSH) into acrylate-functionalized liquid poly(4-methyl-

-caprolactone) (PMCLDA) precursor afforded the mixed inks shear thinning behavior. The network structure of scaffolds was regulated by thiol-acrylate photopolymerization.

Abstract

Direct ink writing (DIW) has emerged as one of th

e most promising approaches for biomedical application

owing to its broad material compatibility

ease of operation

and high-resolution. However

the development of DIW inks with suitable rheological properties and excellent biocompatibility remains a significant challenge. Herein

an acrylate-functionalized liquid poly(4-methyl-

-caprolactone) (PMCLDA) was synthesized as the precursor of 3D printing ink

accompanied with thiol-functionalized polyethylene glycol (PEGSH) as a rheological modifier. It was indicated from rheology study that the incorporation of PEGSH with PMCLDA precursor afforded the mixt inks shear thinning behavior. Moreover

it was verified by

in situ

Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and photo-rheology that the mixed ink could rapidly cure through thiol-acrylate crosslinking under UV light. Various inks formulations were successfully utilized for printing 3D scaffolds

via

UV-assisted DIW

with the optimized printability for SH75 ink. Moreover

the 3D-printed scaffolds exhibited excellent elasticity and degradability.

In vitro

cytocompatibility assessments showed that the scaffolds exhibited good cytocompatibility and supported the proliferation of L929 mouse fibroblasts for a duration of 7 days. Therefore

it is demonstrated that the 3D-printed scaffolds crosslinked

via

thiol-acrylate crosslinking have great potential for applications in tissue engineering.

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Direct Ink Writing of Biodegradable Elastic Scaffolds via Rapid Thiol-Acrylate Photocrosslinking

DOI：10.1007/s10118-026-3582-0

摘要

Abstract

关键词

Keywords

references