@article{LoebleinLorsonKommaetal.2021,
  author    = {L{\"o}blein, Jochen and Lorson, Thomas and Komma, Miriam and Kielholz, Tobias and Windbergs, Maike and Dalton, Paul D. and Luxenhofer, Robert},
  title     = {An initiator- and catalyst-free hydrogel coating process for 3D printed medical-grade poly(ε-caprolactone)},
  series = {Beilstein Journal of Organic Chemistry},
  volume    = {17},
  journal   = {Beilstein Journal of Organic Chemistry},
  doi       = {10.3762/bjoc.17.136},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-369433},
  pages     = {2095-2101},
  year      = {2021},
  abstract  = {Additive manufacturing or 3D printing as an umbrella term for various materials processing methods has distinct advantages over many other processing methods, including the ability to generate highly complex shapes and designs. However, the performance of any produced part not only depends on the material used and its shape, but is also critically dependent on its surface properties. Important features, such as wetting or fouling, critically depend mainly on the immediate surface energy. To gain control over the surface chemistry post-processing modifications are generally necessary, since it′s not a feature of additive manufacturing. Here, we report on the use of initiator and catalyst-free photografting and photopolymerization for the hydrophilic modification of microfiber scaffolds obtained from hydrophobic medical-grade poly(ε-caprolactone) via melt-electrowriting. Contact angle measurements and Raman spectroscopy confirms the formation of a more hydrophilic coating of poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate). Apart from surface modification, we also observe bulk polymerization, which is expected for this method, and currently limits the controllability of this procedure.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{McCollGrollJungstetal.2018,
  author    = {McColl, Erin and Groll, J{\"u}rgen and Jungst, Tomasz and Dalton, Paul D.},
  title     = {Design and fabrication of melt electrowritten tubes using intuitive software},
  series = {Materials and Design},
  volume    = {155},
  journal   = {Materials and Design},
  doi       = {10.1016/j.matdes.2018.05.036},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-223891},
  pages     = {46-58},
  year      = {2018},
  abstract  = {This study approaches the accurate continuous direct-writing onto a cylindrical collector from a mathematical perspective, taking into account the winding angle, cylinder diameter and length required for the final 3D printed tube. Using an additive manufacturing process termed melt electrowriting (MEW), porous tubes intended for tissue engineering applications are fabricated from medical-grade poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL), validating the mathematically-derived method. For the fabricated tubes in this study, the pore size, winding angle and printed length can all be planned in advance and manufactured as designed. The physical dimensions of the tubes matched theoretical predictions and mechanical testing performed demonstrated that variations in the tubular morphology have a direct impact on their strength. MEWTubes, the web-based application developed and described here, is a particularly useful tool for planning the complex continuous direct writing path required for MEW onto a rotating, cylindrical build surface.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{McMasterHoefnerHrynevichetal.2019,
  author    = {McMaster, Rebecca and Hoefner, Christiane and Hrynevich, Andrei and Blum, Carina and Wiesner, Miriam and Wittmann, Katharina and Dargaville, Tim R. and Bauer-Kreisel, Petra and Groll, J{\"u}rgen and Dalton, Paul D. and Blunk, Torsten},
  title     = {Tailored Melt Electrowritten Scaffolds for the Generation of Sheet-Like Tissue Constructs from Multicellular Spheroids},
  series = {Advanced Healthcare Materials},
  volume    = {8},
  journal   = {Advanced Healthcare Materials},
  doi       = {10.1002/adhm.201801326},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-223921},
  year      = {2019},
  abstract  = {Melt electrowriting (MEW) is an additive manufacturing technology that is recently used to fabricate voluminous scaffolds for biomedical applications. In this study, MEW is adapted for the seeding of multicellular spheroids, which permits the easy handling as a single sheet-like tissue-scaffold construct. Spheroids are made from adipose-derived stromal cells (ASCs). Poly(ε-caprolactone) is processed via MEW into scaffolds with box-structured pores, readily tailorable to spheroid size, using 13-15 µm diameter fibers. Two 7-8 µm diameter "catching fibers" near the bottom of the scaffold are threaded through each pore (360 and 380 µm) to prevent loss of spheroids during seeding. Cell viability remains high during the two week culture period, while the differentiation of ASCs into the adipogenic lineage is induced. Subsequent sectioning and staining of the spheroid-scaffold construct can be readily performed and accumulated lipid droplets are observed, while upregulation of molecular markers associated with successful differentiation is demonstrated. Tailoring MEW scaffolds with pores allows the simultaneous seeding of high numbers of spheroids at a time into a construct that can be handled in culture and may be readily transferred to other sites for use as implants or tissue models.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{KadeBakirciTandonetal.2022,
  author    = {Kade, Juliane C. and Bakirci, Ezgi and Tandon, Biranche and Gorgol, Danila and Mrlik, Miroslav and Luxenhofer, Robert and Dalton, Paul D.},
  title     = {The Impact of Including Carbonyl Iron Particles on the Melt Electrowriting Process},
  series = {Macromolecular Materials and Engineering},
  volume    = {307},
  journal   = {Macromolecular Materials and Engineering},
  number    = {12},
  issn      = {1438-7492},
  doi       = {10.1002/mame.202200478},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-318482},
  year      = {2022},
  abstract  = {Melt electrowriting, a high-resolution additive manufacturing technique, is used in this study to process a magnetic polymer-based blend for the first time. Carbonyl iron (CI) particles homogenously distribute into poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) melts to result in well-defined, highly porous structures or scaffolds comprised of fibers ranging from 30 to 50 µm in diameter. This study observes that CI particle incorporation is possible up to 30 wt\% without nozzle clogging, albeit that the highest concentration results in heterogeneous fiber morphologies. In contrast, the direct writing of homogeneous PVDF fibers with up to 15 wt\% CI is possible. The fibers can be readily displaced using magnets at concentrations of 1 wt\% and above. Combined with good viability of L929 CC1 cells using Live/Dead imaging on scaffolds for all CI concentrations indicates that these formulations have potential for the usage in stimuli-responsive applications such as 4D printing.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{BoehmTandonHrynevichetal.2022,
  author    = {B{\"o}hm, Christoph and Tandon, Biranche and Hrynevich, Andrei and Teßmar, J{\"o}rg and Dalton, Paul D.},
  title     = {Processing of Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) Microfibers via Melt Electrowriting},
  series = {Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics},
  volume    = {223},
  journal   = {Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics},
  number    = {5},
  doi       = {10.1002/macp.202100417},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-318444},
  year      = {2022},
  abstract  = {Polymers sensitive to thermal degradation include poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA), which is not yet processed via melt electrowriting (MEW). After an initial period of instability where mean fiber diameters increase from 20.56 to 27.37 µm in 3.5 h, processing stabilizes through to 24 h. The jet speed, determined using critical translation speed measurements, also reduces slightly in this 3.5 h period from 500 to 433 mm min\(^{-1}\) but generally remains constant. Acetyl triethyl citrate (ATEC) as an additive decreases the glass transition temperature of PLGA from 49 to 4 °C, and the printed ATEC/PLGA fibers exhibits elastomeric behavior upon handling. Fiber bundles tested in cyclic mechanical testing display increased elasticity with increasing ATEC concentration. The processing temperature of PLGA also reduces from 165 to 143 °C with increase in ATEC concentration. This initial window of unstable direct writing seen with neat PLGA can also be impacted through the addition of 10-wt\% ATEC, producing fiber diameters of 14.13 ± 1.69 µm for the first 3.5 h of heating. The investigation shows that the initial changes to the PLGA direct-writing outcomes seen in the first 3.5 h are temporary and that longer times result in a more stable MEW process.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{KadeOttoLuxenhoferetal.2021,
  author    = {Kade, Juliane C. and Otto, Paul F. and Luxenhofer, Robert and Dalton, Paul D.},
  title     = {Melt electrowriting of poly(vinylidene difluoride) using a heated collector},
  series = {Polymers for Advanced Technologies},
  volume    = {32},
  journal   = {Polymers for Advanced Technologies},
  number    = {12},
  issn      = {1042-7147},
  doi       = {10.1002/pat.5463},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-318493},
  pages     = {4951 -- 4955},
  year      = {2021},
  abstract  = {Previous research on the melt electrowriting (MEW) of poly(vinylidene difluoride) (PVDF) resulted in electroactive fibers, however, printing more than five layers is challenging. Here, we investigate the influence of a heated collector to adjust the solidification rate of the PVDF jet so that it adheres sufficiently to each layer. A collector temperature of 110°C is required to improve fiber processing, resulting in a total of 20 fiber layers. For higher temperatures and higher layers, an interesting phenomenon occurred, where the intersection points of the fibers coalesced into periodic spheres of diameter 206 ± 52 μm (26G, 150°C collector temperature, 2000 mm/min, 10 layers in x- and y-direction).The heated collector is an important component of a MEW printer that allows polymers with a high melting point to be processable with increased layers.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{KadeTandonWeichholdetal.2021,
  author    = {Kade, Juliane C. and Tandon, Biranche and Weichhold, Jan and Pisignano, Dario and Persano, Luana and Luxenhofer, Robert and Dalton, Paul D.},
  title     = {Melt electrowriting of poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-trifluoroethylene)},
  series = {Polymer International},
  volume    = {70},
  journal   = {Polymer International},
  number    = {12},
  doi       = {10.1002/pi.6272},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-257654},
  pages     = {1725-1732},
  year      = {2021},
  abstract  = {Poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-trifluoroethylene) (P(VDF-co-TrFE)) is an electroactive polymer with growing interest for applications in biomedical materials and flexible electronics. In this study, a solvent-free additive manufacturing technique called melt electrowriting (MEW) has been utilized to fabricate well-defined microperiodic structures of the copolymer (P(VDF-co-TrFE)). MEW of the highly viscous polymer melt was initiated using a heated collector at temperatures above 120 °C and required remarkably slow collector speeds below 100 mm min\(^{-1}\). The fiber surface morphology was affected by the collector speed and an increase in β-phase was observed for scaffolds compared to the unprocessed powder. Videography shows vibrations of the P(VDF-co-TrFE) jet previously unseen during MEW, probably due to repeated charge buildup and discharge. Furthermore, piezo-force microscopy measurements demonstrated the electromechanical response of MEW-fabricated fibers. This research therefore achieves the melt electrohydrodynamic processing of fibers with micrometer resolution into defined structures with an important electroactive polymer.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{BoehmStahlhutWeichholdetal.2022,
  author    = {B{\"o}hm, Christoph and Stahlhut, Philipp and Weichhold, Jan and Hrynevich, Andrei and Teßmar, J{\"o}rg and Dalton, Paul D.},
  title     = {The Multiweek Thermal Stability of Medical-Grade Poly(ε-caprolactone) During Melt Electrowriting},
  series = {Small},
  volume    = {18},
  journal   = {Small},
  number    = {3},
  doi       = {10.1002/smll.202104193},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-257741},
  year      = {2022},
  abstract  = {Melt electrowriting (MEW) is a high-resolution additive manufacturing technology that places unique constraints on the processing of thermally degradable polymers. With a single nozzle, MEW operates at low throughput and in this study, medical-grade poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) is heated for 25 d at three different temperatures (75, 85, and 95 °C), collecting daily samples. There is an initial increase in the fiber diameter and decrease in the jet speed over the first 5 d, then the MEW process remains stable for the 75 and 85 °C groups. When the collector speed is fixed to a value at least 10\% above the jet speed, the diameter remains constant for 25 d at 75 °C and only increases with time for 85 and 95 °C. Fiber fusion at increased layer height is observed for 85 and 95 °C, while the surface morphology of single fibers remain similar for all temperatures. The properties of the prints are assessed with no observable changes in the degree of crystallinity or the Young's modulus, while the yield strength decreases in later phases only for 95 °C. After the initial 5-d period, the MEW processing of PCL at 75 °C is extraordinarily stable with overall fiber diameters averaging 13.5 ± 1.0 µm over the entire 25-d period.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{BakirciFrankGumbeletal.2021,
  author    = {Bakirci, Ezgi and Frank, Andreas and Gumbel, Simon and Otto, Paul F. and F{\"u}rsattel, Eva and Tessmer, Ingrid and Schmidt, Hans-Werner and Dalton, Paul D.},
  title     = {Melt Electrowriting of Amphiphilic Physically Crosslinked Segmented Copolymers},
  series = {Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics},
  volume    = {222},
  journal   = {Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics},
  number    = {22},
  doi       = {10.1002/macp.202100259},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-257572},
  year      = {2021},
  abstract  = {Various (AB)\(_{n}\) and (ABAC)\(_{n}\) segmented copolymers with hydrophilic and hydrophobic segments are processed via melt electrowriting (MEW). Two different (AB)\(_{n}\) segmented copolymers composed of bisurea segments and hydrophobic poly(dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS) or hydrophilic poly(propylene oxide)-poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(propylene oxide) (PPO-PEG-PPO) segments, while the amphiphilic (ABAC)\(_{n}\) segmented copolymers consist of bisurea segments in the combination of hydrophobic PDMS segments and hydrophilic PPO-PEG-PPO segments with different ratios, are explored. All copolymer compositions are processed using the same conditions, including nozzle temperature, applied voltage, and collector distance, while changes in applied pressure and collector speed altered the fiber diameter in the range of 7 and 60 µm. All copolymers showed excellent processability with MEW, well-controlled fiber stacking, and inter-layer bonding. Notably, the surfaces of all four copolymer fibers are very smooth when visualized using scanning electron microscopy. However, the fibers show different roughness demonstrated with atomic force microscopy. The non-cytotoxic copolymers increased L929 fibroblast attachment with increasing PDMS content while the different copolymer compositions result in a spectrum of physical properties.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{HochleitnerJuengstBrownetal.2015,
  author    = {Hochleitner, Gernot and J{\"u}ngst, Tomasz and Brown, Toby D and Hahn, Kathrin and Moseke, Claus and Jakob, Franz and Dalton, Paul D and Groll, J{\"u}rgen},
  title     = {Additive manufacturing of scaffolds with sub-micron filaments via melt electrospinning writing},
  series = {Biofabrication},
  volume    = {7},
  journal   = {Biofabrication},
  number    = {3},
  doi       = {10.1088/1758-5090/7/3/035002},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-254053},
  year      = {2015},
  abstract  = {The aim of this study was to explore the lower resolution limits of an electrohydrodynamic process combined with direct writing technology of polymer melts. Termed melt electrospinning writing, filaments are deposited layer-by-layer to produce discrete three-dimensional scaffolds for in vitro research. Through optimization of the parameters (flow rate, spinneret diameter, voltage, collector distance) for poly-ϵ-caprolactone, we could direct-write coherent scaffolds with ultrafine filaments, the smallest being 817 ± 165 nm. These low diameter filaments were deposited to form box-structures with a periodicity of 100.6 ± 5.1 μm and a height of 80 μm (50 stacked filaments; 100 overlap at intersections). We also observed oriented crystalline regions within such ultrafine filaments after annealing at 55 °C. The scaffolds were printed upon NCO-sP(EO-stat-PO)-coated glass slide surfaces and withstood frequent liquid exchanges with negligible scaffold detachment for at least 10 days in vitro.},
  language  = {en}
}