The Critical Importance of Viscoelastic Parameters (G′, G′′, tanδ) in the Formulation of Chitosan Hydrogel Bioinks for Additive Manufacturing

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Abstract The development of bioinks for the additive manufacturing of biomaterials, particularly in 3D bioprinting, is a field that fundamentally depends on materials engineering to accurately mimic the extracellular matrix (ECM) and the properties of native tissues. This report addresses the critical importance of viscoelastic rheological parameters—namely, the storage modulus (G′), the loss modulus (G′′), and the loss tangent (tanδ)-in the formulation of chitosan hydrogel-based bioinks. Chitosan, a natural modified polymer with high biocompatibility, faces challenges due to its intrinsically weak mechanical properties. The characterization and adjustment of these viscoelastic parameters are key to overcoming this limitation, allowing the bioink to exhibit the shear-thinning behavior necessary for extrusion and, simultaneously, maintain high shape fidelity after deposition. The report details how the balance between elastic and viscous behaviors, characterized as a "weak gel," is the ideal state for a successful extrusion bioprinting process, and describe the fitting in rheological models, such as the 3-element Generalized Maxwell Model and power-law analysis.
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The Critical Importance of Viscoelastic Parameters (G′, G′′, tanδ) in the Formulation of Chitosan Hydrogel Bioinks for Additive Manufacturing | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article The Critical Importance of Viscoelastic Parameters (G′, G′′, tanδ) in the Formulation of Chitosan Hydrogel Bioinks for Additive Manufacturing João V. S. d. A. Queiroz, João E. d. S. Neto, Matheus A. Santos, and 1 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8787437/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Graphical Abstract Abstract The development of bioinks for the additive manufacturing of biomaterials, particularly in 3D bioprinting, is a field that fundamentally depends on materials engineering to accurately mimic the extracellular matrix (ECM) and the properties of native tissues. This report addresses the critical importance of viscoelastic rheological parameters—namely, the storage modulus (G′), the loss modulus (G′′), and the loss tangent (tanδ)-in the formulation of chitosan hydrogel-based bioinks. Chitosan, a natural modified polymer with high biocompatibility, faces challenges due to its intrinsically weak mechanical properties. The characterization and adjustment of these viscoelastic parameters are key to overcoming this limitation, allowing the bioink to exhibit the shear-thinning behavior necessary for extrusion and, simultaneously, maintain high shape fidelity after deposition. The report details how the balance between elastic and viscous behaviors, characterized as a "weak gel," is the ideal state for a successful extrusion bioprinting process, and describe the fitting in rheological models, such as the 3-element Generalized Maxwell Model and power-law analysis. chitosan hydrogels bioinks additive manufacturing rheological properties viscoelasticity Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8787437","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":600150191,"identity":"b988e5a6-3862-4c9b-a531-ea2f558895d4","order_by":0,"name":"João V. 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