Obtaining B-TCP scaffolds with hierarchical porous structure by direct foam writing

Abstract

Ceramics with hierarchical porous structures present low density, high specificity and multifunctionality, which become them relevant in several industrial applications such as in filters, thermal insulation, catalyst supports, scaffolds of tissue engineering among others. Recent studies point to the possibility of combining conventional ceramic processing techniques such as gelcasting of foams or emulsions ceramic with additive manufacturing techniques, for example, 3D printing by Direct Ink Writing (DIW) to realize hierarchical porous architectures. This combination is known as Direct Foam Writing (DFW). It is believed that scaffolds with this type of structure have high potential for bone tissue engineering application, because they permit the combination of properties and distinct functionalities due to the presence of pores in different length scales. The calcium phosphate based ceramics exhibit high biocompatibility due to their chemical and structural similarity to bone tissue and osteoconductivity. For using the scaffold in tissue engineering, the ²-tricalcium phosphate (²-TCP), because it is resorbable, stands out in relation to the others calcium phosphates. However, there are no reports in the literature to obtain ²-TCP scaffolds by DFW. In this context, this project proposes a novel and versatile approach utilizing DFW to obtain ²-TCP scaffolds with hierarchical porous structure aiming the repair and regeneration of bone tissues.