3D bioprinting of Mg-doped PLA composite as a potential material for bone tissue regeneration- synthesis, characterization and additive manufacturing

Abstract Magnesium (Mg)/Polylactic acid (PLA) composites are promising materials for bone regeneration and tissue engineering applications. PLA is a biodegradable and biocompatible polymer that can be easily processed into various shapes and structures, such as scaffolds, films, and fibers but have low biodegrabilibilty. Mg is a biocompatible metal that has been proven to have good biodegradability and osteoconductivity, which makes it suitable for bone tissue engineering. In this study, we prepared and characterized Mg/PLA composite bio-ink as a potential material for bioprinting. The results showed that the addition of Mg has a significant impact on the PLA’s thermal and structural properties and also has significantly increased the degradation of PLA. XRD was used to determine the degree of crystallinity in the PLA/Mg composite, which provides insight into its thermal stability and degradation behavior. The crystallization temperature of PLA increased and the melting temperature reduced Mg incorporation. The films with 5 wt% Mg particles displayed the best-ordered honeycomb structure in the film form. Such structures are considered to affect the mechanical, biological, and heat/mass transfer properties of the Mg/PLA composites and products. The preliminary 3D bioprinting experiments were successful to result in dimensionally and structurally integral scaffold samples.