3D printing hybrid organometallic polymer-based biomaterials via laser two-photon polymerization

Balčiūnas, E. and Baldock, S.J. and Dreižė, N. and Grubliauskaitė, M. and Coultas, S. and Rochester, D.L. and Valius, M. and Hardy, J.G. and Baltriukienė, D. (2019) 3D printing hybrid organometallic polymer-based biomaterials via laser two-photon polymerization. Polymer International, 68 (11). pp. 1928-1940. ISSN 0959-8103

Abstract

Materials with microscale structures are gaining increasing interest due to their range of technical and medical applications. Additive manufacturing approaches to such objects via laser two-photon polymerization, also known as multiphoton fabrication, enable the creation of new materials with diverse and tunable properties. Here, we investigate the properties of 3D structures composed of organometallic polymers incorporating aluminium, titanium, vanadium and zirconium. The organometallic polymer-based materials were analysed using a variety of techniques including SEM, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis and contact angle measurements and their biocompatibility was tested in vitro. Cell viability and mode of death were determined by 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and acridine orange/ethidium bromide staining. Polymers incorporating Al, Ti and Zr supported cell adhesion and proliferation, and showed low toxicity in vitro, whereas the organometallic polymer incorporating V was shown to be cytotoxic. Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry suggested that leaching of the V from the organometallic polymer is the likely cause of this. The preparation of the organometallic polymers is straightforward and both simple 2D and complex 3D structures can be fabricated with ease. Resolution tests of the newly developed organometallic polymer incorporating Al show that suspended lines with widths down to 200 nm can be fabricated. We believe that the materials described in this work show promising properties for the development of objects with sub-micron features for biomedical applications (e.g. biosensors, drug delivery devices, tissue scaffolds etc.). © 2019 The Authors. Polymer International published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry. © 2019 The Authors. Polymer International published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.