Insitu synthesis of gold nanospheres immobilised carboxymethyl cellulose-based conductive hydrogel bioink for 3D bioprinting technology

Abstract

Electrically conductive bioink (ECB) improves the cellular electrical coupling which increases the propagation of cells in bioprinted 3D scaffolds for developing biomimetic architectures. The preparation of ECB predominantly relies on synthetic organic polymers and inorganic nanomaterials, which have certain limitations such as cytotoxicity, weak mechanical stability, and non-biodegradability. The current study focuses on synthesising an ECB immobilised with gold nanospheres (GNS) within the carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) polymer to eliminate the drawbacks of ECB preparation. Insitu reduction of gold into stable gold nanoparticles within the CMC hydrogel polymer matrix imparted better conductivity without compromising the bioink properties for 3D bioprinting technology.