title: 3D-printed silicate porous bioceramics using a non-sacrificial preceramic polymer binder.
abstract: Silicate bioceramics possess an excellent bioactivity; however, shaping them into complex geometries is still challenging. Therefore, this paper aims to present a new strategy for the shaping of a bioglass-ceramic with controlled geometry and properties starting from a glass powder combined with a preceramic polymer, i.e. a silicon resin, and reactive fillers. The powder-based three-dimensional (3D)-printing of wollastonite (CaSiO3)-based silicate bioceramic parts was demonstrated in this work. The resin plays a dual role, as it not only acts as a non-sacrificial binder for the filler powders in the printing process but it also reacts with the fillers to generate the desired bioceramic phases. The mechanical and physical properties, i.e. ball-on-three-balls test, density, porosity and morphology, were evaluated in 3D-printed discs. These samples possessed a total porosity around 64 vol% and a biaxial flexural strength around 6 MPa. The raw materials used in this work also enabled the 3D-printing of scaffolds possessing a designed multi-scale porosity, suitable bioceramic phase assemblage and a compressive strength of 1 MPa (for cylindrical scaffolds with total porosity ~80 vol%). Solubility in TRIS/HCl and in vitro assays, i.e. viability, cytotoxicity and apoptosis assays, were also performed. In vitro tests indicated good cell viability and no cytotoxicity effect on the cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Padova, via Marzolo 9, 35131 Padova, Italy. Division of Ceramic Processing and Biomaterials, BAM Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing, Unter den Eichen 44-46, 12203 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zocca
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Elsayed
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bernardo
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Gomes
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Lopez-Heredia
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Knabe
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Colombo
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Günster
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017610:Calcium Compounds / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000633:toxicity; D002460:Cell Line; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002516:Ceramics / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000633:toxicity; D019245:Compressive Strength; D051379:Mice; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D016062:Porosity; D066330:Printing, Three-Dimensional; D017640:Silicates / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000633:toxicity; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction
chemical_list: D017610:Calcium Compounds; D011108:Polymers; D017640:Silicates; C031293:calcium silicate