Page 65 - IJB-9-6

International

Journal of Bioprinting

RESEARCH ARTICLE
3D Aerosol Jet® printing for microstructuring:

Advantages and Limitations

Miriam Seiti , Olivier Degryse , Rosalba Monica Ferraro , Silvia Giliani ,
1
1
2
2
Veerle Bloemen , and Eleonora Ferraris *
1
3
1 Manufacturing Processes and Systems (MaPS), Mechanical Engineering, KU Leuven, Sint
Katelijne Waver, 2860, Belgium
2 Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, “Angelo Nocivelli” Institute for Molecular
Medicine, University of Brescia, ASST Spedali Civili, Brescia, Italy
3
Prometheus, Division of Skeletal Tissue Engineering, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Related to 3D printing technology and materials)
Abstract
Aerosol Jet® printing (AJ®P) is a direct writing printing technology that deposits
functional aerosolized solutions on free-form substrates. Its potential has been
widely adopted for two-dimensional (2D) microscale constructs in printed
electronics (PE), and it is rapidly growing toward surface structuring and biological
interfaces. However, limited research has been devoted to its exploitation as a three-
dimensional (3D) printing technique. In this study, we investigated AJ®P capabilities
for 3D microstructuring of three inks, as well as their advantages and limitations by
employing three proposed 3D AJ®P strategies (continuous jet deposition, layer-by-
layer, and point-wise). In particular, 3D microstructures of increasing complexity
*Corresponding author:
Eleonora Ferraris based on silver nanoparticle (AgNPs)-, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)polystyrene
(eleonora.ferraris@kuleuven.be) sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS)-, and collagen-based inks were investigated at various aspect
ratios and resolutions. Biocompatibility assays were also performed to evaluate inks
Citation: Seiti M, Degryse O,
Ferraro RM, et al., 2023, 3D Aerosol cytotoxicity effects on selected cellular lineages, including neuronal and osteoblast
Jet® printing for microstructuring: cell lines. Results show the possibility to print not only arrays of micropillars of different
Advantages and limitations. Int J aspect ratios (AgNPs-ARs ~ 20, PEDOT:PSS-ARs ~ 4.5, collagen-ARs ~ 2.5), but also
Bioprint, 9(6): 0257.
https://doi.org/10.36922/ijb.0257 dense and complex (yet low reproducible) leaf- or flake-like structures (especially
with the AgNPs-based ink), and lattice units (collagen-based ink). Specifically,
Received: December 02, 2022
Accepted: January 10, 2023 this study demonstrates that the fabrication of 3D AJ®-printed microstructures is
Published Online: June 28, 2023 possible only with a specific set of printing parameters, and firmly depends on the
Copyright: © 2023 Author(s). ink (co-)solvents fast-drying phenomena during the printing process. Furthermore,
This is an Open Access article the data concerning inks biocompatibility revealed high cytotoxicity levels for the
distributed under the terms of the AgNPs-based ink, while low ones for the PEDOT:PSS and the collagen-based inks. In
Creative Commons Attribution
License, permitting distribution, conclusion, the paper provides general guidelines with respect to ink development
and reproduction in any medium, and print strategies for 3D AJ®P microstructuring, opening its adoption in a vast
provided the original work is range of applications in life science (tissue engineering, bioelectronic interfaces),
properly cited.
electronics, and micromanufacturing.
Publisher’s Note: AccScience
Publishing remains neutral with
regard to jurisdictional claims in Keywords: Aerosol Jet® printing; 3D microstructures; Micropillars; Microlattices;
published maps and institutional Ink biocompatibility
affiliations.

Volume 9 Issue 6 (2023) 57 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijb.0257