Universal Nanocarrier Ink Platform for Biomaterials Additive Manufacturing

Ink engineering is a fundamental area of research within additive manufacturing (AM) that designs next-generation biomaterials tailored for additive processes. During the design of new inks, specific requirements must be considered, such as flowability, postfabrication stability, biointegration, and controlled release of therapeutic molecules. To date, many (bio)inks have been developed; however, few are sufficiently versatile to address a broad range of applications. In this work, a universal nanocarrier ink platform is presented that provides tailored rheology for extrusion-based AM and facilitates the formulation of biofunctional inks. The universal nanocarrier ink (UNI) leverages reversible polymer-nanoparticle interactions to form a transient physical network with shear-thinning and self-healing properties engineered for direct ink writing (DIW). The unique advantage of the material is that a range of functional secondary polymers can be combined with the UNI to enable stabilization of printed constructs via secondary cross-linking as well as customized biofunctionality for tissue engineering and drug delivery applications. Specific UNI formulations are used for bioprinting of living tissue constructs and DIW of controlled release devices. The robust and versatile nature of the UNI platform enables rapid formulation of a broad range of functional inks for AM of advanced biomaterials.