Abstract
The extrusion based three-dimensional (3D) bio-printing deposits cell-laden bio-ink with high spatial resolution and may offer living tissue regeneration. Due to the biocompatibility, less cytotoxicity and high water content, natural hydrogels are commonly considered as the bio-ink for scaffold fabrication. However, due to the low mechanical integrity, a large scale scaffold (> 10 layers) with intricate architecture is a challenge. In this paper, Cellulose-based nano-fiber and CMC are added with alginate material to improve the rheological behavior of the hybrid hydrogel. Shear-thinning behavior, shape fidelity, printability of the composition are investigated and evaluated for various compositions. Finally, both regular and freeform 3D scaffolds are fabricated with the proposed hybrid hydrogel to validate its printability and shape fidelity. The required properties of bio-ink are highly dependent upon the percentage composition and the solid content.
