Improved 3D-Printability of Cellulose Acetate to Mimic Water Absorption in Plant Roots through Nanoporous Networks

Abstract

Developing artificial plant root models to mimic water absorption using biomaterial-derived inks for three-dimensional (3D) printing is challenging because of their rheological behavior and biocompatibility. Herein, we developed and optimized a cellulose acetate (CA) ink and its printing parameters for extrusion-based 3D-printing to fabricate an object that mimics the mechanical properties and water absorption ability of plant roots. The composition and printing parameters of the CA ink were correlated to its rheological properties for enabling the uninterrupted printing of structures with layer thickness of 0.1 mm and high shape fidelity. The 3D-printing process produces a highly nanoporous (∼87 nm diameter) material without altering the chemistry of CA. The Young’s modulus (1.43 ± 0.14 GPa) and tensile strength (23.30 ± 2.40 MPa) of 3D-printed CA are comparable to those of real plant roots. Furthermore, its high hydraulic conductivity of 3.9 × 10–4 m s–1 MPa–1 indicates its superior water absorption ability. Thus, the 3D-printed CA material possesses immense potential for application in plant science and bioengineering.

Tailoring 3D printed cellulose acetate properties produced via direct ink writing: Densification through over‐extrusion and evaporation rate control

“…Observed tensile resistance is in the range of 32 to 37 MPa, while deformation at rupture is measured between 10% and 13%. These values are consistent with reference samples found in the literature 20 . The reported mechanical properties do not present significant and clear trends.…”

“…This is due to the motion of CA molecules, which tend to disentangle when shear is applied, reducing their flow resistance. Consequently, viscosity decreases at high shear rates 4,20,34 . This is a fundamental characteristic for printable inks: they should flow when shear stress is applied to facilitate extrusion, but at the same time they should retain their shape once the shear stress is removed to avoid the collapse of the printed object.…”

“…The solvent used depends on the specific grade of CA, but common solvents include acetone, chloroform, and methylene chloride. The concentration of CA and the choice of solvent can affect the properties of the ink, such as its viscosity and solidification behavior: for example, Liu et al investigated the properties of a mixture of CA, acetone, and water; while Huang and Dean found better printability when adding glycerol 4,20 . The ink is loaded into a syringe or nozzle and extruded onto a substrate in a controlled manner to create the desired 3D structure.…”

“…In this contribution, we aim at demonstrating the applicability of a continuous production of CA 3D printed parts by means of a peristaltic pump. Furthermore, common solutions of CA in acetone for DIW do not exceed a percentage of 35% 20,28 . Several studies have been conducted on the properties of the ink, but few took into consideration the effect of printing parameters on the final quality of printed parts.…”

Recent Advances in Microfluidic Platform for Physical and Immunological Detection and Capture of Circulating Tumor Cells

“…As the name implies, microfluidics is concerned with accurate fluid flow management in microliters to picoliters (10)(11)(12) within micro-volume channels [35]. Various techniques like 3D printing [36], molding, laminating, and high-resolution nanofabrication are used to create these devices. S.C. Terry reported the first lab-on-a-chip (LOC) analysis system in 1979, which was investigated for gas chromatography applications [37].…”