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The aim of this thesis was the preparation of a biomaterial ink for the fabrication of chemically crosslinked hydrogel scaffolds with low micron sized features using melt electrowriting (MEW). By developing a functional polymeric material based on 2-alkyl-2-oxazine (Ozi) and 2-alkyl-2-oxazoline (Ox) homo- and copolymers in combination with Diels-Alder (DA)-based dynamic covalent chemistry, it was possible to achieve this goal. This marks an important step for the additive manufacturing technique melt electrowriting (MEW), as soft and hydrophilic structures become available for the first time. The use of dynamic covalent chemistry is a very elegant and efficient method for consolidating covalent crosslinking with melt processing. It was shown that the high chemical versatility of the Ox and Ozi chemistry offers great potential to control the processing parameters. The established platform offers straight forward potential for modification with biological cues and fluorescent markers. This is essential for advanced biological applications. The physical properties of the material are readily controlled and the potential for 4D-printing was highlighted as well. The developed hydrogel architectures are excellent candidates for 3D cell culture applications. In particular, the low internal strength of some of the scaffolds in combination with the tendency of such constructs to collapse into thin strings could be interesting for the cultivation of muscle or nerve cells. In this context it was also possible to show that MEW printed hydrogel scaffolds can withstand the aspiration and ejection through a cannula. This allows the application as scaffolds for the minimally invasive delivery of implants or functional tissue equivalent structures to various locations in the human body.
This thesis aims to investigate the form-phase diagram of aqueous solutions of the triblock copolymer Pluronic P123 focusing on its high-temperature phases. P123 is based on polyethylene as well as polypropylene oxide blocks and shows a variety of di erent temperaturedependent micelle morphologies or even lyotropic liquid crystal phases in aqueous solutions. Besides the already well-studied spherical aggregates at intermediate temperatures, the size and internal structure of both worm-like and lamellar micelles, which appear near the cloud point, is determined using light, neutron and X-ray scattering. By combining the results of time-resolved dynamic light as well as small-angle neutron and X-ray scattering experiments, the underlying structural changes and kinetics of the sphere-to-worm transition were studied supporting the random fusion process, which is proposed in literature. For temperatures near the cloud point, it was observed that aqueous P123 solutions below the critical crystallization concentration gelate after several hours, which is linked to the presence and structure of polymeric surface layers on the sample container walls as shown by neutron re ectometry
measurements. Using a hierarchical model for the lamellar micelles including their periodicity as well as domain and overall size, it is possible to unify the existing results in literature and propose a direct connection between the near-surface and bulk properties of P123 solutions at temperatures near the cloud point.
After examining suitable parameters for a newly designed system, dynamic SIPGP could be developed. For the first time, SIPGP was performed while applying a constant flow of monomer solution through the reaction system. This added a new parameter: the flow rate (rfl). Accordingly, this parameter was examined, comparing dynamic to static SIPGP. It could be shown, that by applying higher rfl to the system, the contact angle increases, which indicates a slower coating. The flow patterns inside the reactor were then modelled and calculated. These calculations indicated, that, due to higher flow velocities, the contact angle on the coated samples would be lower on the sides of the sample and higher in the middle. This finding was verified by contact angle measurements. The influence of dynamic SIPGP on the temperature inside the reaction chamber during the reaction was examined by temperature sensors inside the reactor. This showed, that the constant flow of monomer solution can be utilized to decrease the warming of the reaction solution during the reaction. Finally it was shown, that dynamic SIPGP can decrease the formation of bulk polymer on the sample, which is forming during the reaction. This enables SIPGP to fabricate more homogeneous coatings by applying a constant monomer flow.