Fabrication of 3D-Printed PLA/liquid natural rubber/cellulose nanocrystals bionanocomposite for advanced biomedical applications

Three-dimensional (3D) has emerged as a promising approach for producing customized tissue engineering scaffolds. However, poly(lactic acid) (PLA), one of the most widely used biopolymers, is limited by its brittleness, poor toughness, and slow degradation, restricting its long-term functionality. This study synthesized and optimized a bionanocomposite consisting of PLA, liquid natural rubber (LNR), and cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) to overcome these limitations. The materials were prepared through melt compounding, with CNC content systematically varied to achieve an optimum mechanical and degradation properties balance. Adding 0.75 % CNC resulted in a 20 % improvement in degradation rate and significantly enhanced mechanical performance, including greater elongation at break, stiffness, and impact resistance compared to neat PLA and PLA/LNR blends. Scanning Electron Microscopy confirmed uniform CNC dispersion within the matrix, which improved interfacial adhesion and structural reinforcement. The optimized bionanocomposite was successfully processed into 3D-printed scaffolds, demonstrating interconnected porosity suitable for cell attachment and proliferation, mechanical stability for temporary tissue support, and cytocompatibility in accordance with ISO 10993–5:2009(E). Overall, this study establishes PLA/LNR/CNC bionanocomposites as promising materials for 3D-printed tissue scaffolds, offering enhanced mechanical resilience, accelerated degradation, and biocompatibility compared with conventional PLA-based systems.