Development and characterization of a photocurable alginate bioink for three-dimensional bioprinting

Alginate is a biocompatible material suitable for biomedical applications, which can be processed under mild conditions on irradiation. This paper investigates the preparation and the rheological behavior of different pre-polymerized and polymerized alginate methacrylate systems for three-dimensional photopolymerization bioprinting. The effect of the functionalization time on the mechanical, morphological, swelling, and degradation characteristics of cross-linked alginate hydrogel is also discussed. Alginate was chemically-modified with methacrylate groups and different reaction times considered. Photocurable alginate systems were prepared by dissolving functionalized alginate with 0.5- 1.5% w/v photoinitiator solutions and cross-linked by ultraviolet light (8 mW/cm2 for 8 minutes).