Fabrication of biphasic scaffold composed of bioceramic‐loaded and water‐based photosensitive resins through vat photopolymerization

Abstract This study introduces an approach to fabricating a stratified biphasic scaffold using vat photopolymerization. Two different printing materials were employed to prepare the construct, which was composed of polymer composite and hydrogel layers. Bioceramic‐loaded photosensitive resins, which were mainly formulated from poly(ɛ‐caprolactone‐ co ‐glycidyl methacrylate) (p(ɛ‐CL‐ co ‐GMA)) and hydroxyapatite (HAp), were introduced as the polymer composite layer. Besides, the water‐based photosensitive resin consisting of polyethylene glycol dimethacrylate (PEGDMA) was utilized to prepare the hydrogel layer. The effect of HAp content in the bioceramic‐loaded resins on the properties of 3D‐printed specimens (e.g., double bond conversion, printing fidelity, mechanical behavior, and morphology) was assessed. The biphasic scaffolds exhibited a compressive strength of approximately 90 MPa. An optical microscope and scanning electron microscope and energy dispersive x‐ray spectrometer (SEM/EDS) analysis were employed to confirm the printing fidelity and the distribution of bioceramics, respectively. Besides, the cytotoxicity result suggested that the biphasic scaffolds were noncytotoxic to articular chondrocytes. We have developed a straightforward strategy using light‐assisted 3D printing to fabricate the biphasic scaffold for further use in biomedical applications.