3D-Printed Biobased Porous Polymer Scaffolds Reinforced with Bioactive Glasses by High Internal Phase Emulsion Polymerization

This study presents the development, characterization, and preliminary biological assessment of biobased thiol-ene polyHIPE scaffolds reinforced with bioactive glass (BG) particles for bone tissue engineering. The scaffolds were created from biobased acrylated epoxidized soybean oil (AESO) photopolymerized with trithiol TMPTMP using HIPE templating to achieve highly porous, interconnected structures with incorporated BG particles. FTIR spectroscopy together with SEM-EDS analysis confirmed successful and homogeneous incorporation of BG particles in the scaffolds. Their physical, mechanical and thermal properties were determined by water contact angle measurements, compression testing, DMTA, and TGA. MG-63 osteoblastic cells adhered to and proliferated on all scaffolds over 7 days. Furthermore, evidence of osteogenesis was observed after 28 days in culture. Incorporation of BG particles was shown to enhance cell proliferation and osteogenesis. To demonstrate patient-specific adaptability, the materials were also successfully 3D printed, creating bespoke architectures that maintain the polyHIPE porosity.