Engineering ceramics for biomedical applications through nanofiller integration and 3D printing

Known for their strength and durability, ceramic materials are often limited by their brittleness. Polymer-derived ceramics (PDCs) offer a promising alternative, enabling the fabrication of complex shapes that traditional ceramics struggle to achieve. This study introduces a cost-effective method for producing robust PDCs using low-cost liquid crystal display (LCD) 3D printing combined with strategic nanofiller integration. By incorporating nanofillers such as silicon nitride and alumina into a silicon oxycarbide precursor (SPR-684) matrix, we significantly enhanced the mechanical properties of the resultant ceramics. Optimized formulations, including a photoinitiator for vat photopolymerization, were 3D printed into complex geometries, such as gyroids and lattices, and subsequently converted to ceramics through pyrolysis. We systematically investigated the effects of varying nanofiller concentrations (0.2 to 1 wt%) on the density, microstructure, and mechanical performance of the PDC lattices. The results showed remarkable improvements, with increases of up to 2060% in toughness, 20% in stiffness, and 900% in compressive strength attributed to nanofiller integration. In terms of biocompatibility, cytotoxicity assays revealed high cell viability and proliferation on the fabricated PDC scaffolds, indicating minimal cytotoxicity and supporting cell adhesion—key attributes for tissue integration in biomedical applications. Moreover, the compressive properties of the nanofiller-enhanced ceramics closely matched those of human trabecular bone, underscoring their suitability as load-bearing bio-implants. This LCD 3D printing method offers versatility, precision, and cost-effectiveness for bioceramic fabrication, positioning these materials as promising candidates for future biomedical devices where both mechanical performance and biocompatibility are critical.