Applicability of using poly(ethylene sebacate) as a scaffold material in medical applications
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Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Kemian tekniikan korkeakoulu |
Master's thesis
Authors
Date
2024-06-17
Department
Major/Subject
Biosystems and Biomaterials Engineering
Mcode
CHEM3028
Degree programme
Master’s Programme in Life Science Technologies
Language
en
Pages
41+7
Series
Abstract
In an ever-changing world, where sustainability is a constant goal, there is a need for materials that can be produced with low environmental impact and then degrade at the end of the life cycle. Bio-based polyesters, such as poly(ethylene sebacate) (PES), can be used in a variety of medical applications due to the nontoxic character of their degradation products and overall biodegradability. PES can be synthesized from sebacic acid (SA) and ethylene glycol (EG). SA is a dicarboxylic acid (DCA) that can be produced by genetically engineered C. tropicalis, which can convert long-chain fatty acids more effectively to dicarboxylic acids (DCAs) and which degradation of DCAs in the peroxisomes has been inhibited. This thesis explores the 3D printing PES structures and tensile testing of the structures, to evaluate if the PES would be suitable as a scaffold material in bone regeneration applications. Moreover, composites of PES and lignin were produced, to improve the mechanical properties of PES. The results imply that even though the stiffness of PES is high, the brittleness of the material could affect the potential usage of the polymer. Therefore, the results showed that the polymer itself nor the composites cannot be considered suitable materials for applications such as bone regeneration, as the mechanical properties are too different from native bone. A major challenge in this project is the contradictory properties required to 3D print biodegradable structures. Polymer properties that promote biodegradability, which are needed for the target medical application, were observed to lead to poor structural integrity while 3D printing, and thereby lower the mechanical properties needed for tissue engineering applications. However, further research needs to be done to completely establish the applicability of using PES for bone regeneration.Description
Supervisor
Niskanen, JukkaThesis advisor
Jouhten, PaulaKeywords
bio-based polymers, poly(ethylene sebacate), C. tropicalis, 3D printing, bone regeneration