| dc.description.abstract |
<p>3D printing has seen an explosion of interest and growth in recent years, especially
within the biomedical space. Prized for its efficiency, ability to produce complex
geometries, and facile material processing, additive manufacturing is rapidly being
used to create medical devices ranging from orthopedic implants to tissue scaffolds.
However, 3D printing is currently limited to a select few material choices, especially
when one considers soft tissue replacement or augmentation. To this end, my research
focuses on developing material systems that are simultaneously 1) 3D printable, 2)
biocompatible, and 3) mechanically robust with properties appropriate for soft-tissue
replacement or augmentation applications. Two systems were developed toward this goal:
an interpenetrating network (IPN) hydrogel consisting of covalently crosslinked poly
(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) and ionically crosslinked brown sodium alginate,
and semi-crystalline thiol-ene photopolymers containing spiroacetal molecules in the
polymer main-chain backbone. In addition to successfully being incorporated into existing
3D printing systems (extrusion-deposition for the PEGDA-alginate hydrogel and digital
light processing for the thiol-ene polymers) both systems exhibited biocompatibility
and superior thermomechanical properties such as tensile modulus, failure strain,
and toughness. This work offers two fully-developed, novel polymer platforms with
outstanding performance; further, structure-property relationships are highlighted
and discussed on a molecular and morphological level to provide material insights
that are useful to researchers and engineers in the design of highly tuned and mechanically
robust polymers.</p>
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