Can we mimic 3D printing of low molecular weight gels using a rheometer? – a characterisation toolkit for extrusion printed gels

Abstract

The 3D printing of hydrogels from low molecular weight gelators (LMWGs) continues to attract notable interest, with many potential applications. One of the main issues with 3D printing is the difficulty characterising these gels after printing. Currently, the understanding of whether these bulk rheological properties are maintained upon printing is limited. To address this, we have developed a series of rheological and scattering methods to characterise these materials before, during, and after printing. We have used rheology and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) to gain a deeper understanding of the impact printing has on the bulk properties of the hydrogels. We have determined that printing impacts the resulting gel fibril structure, which consequently changes the stiffness and strength of the gel. We hope that through this work, we have provided advances to the field of 3D printing of LMWGs, as well as showing the versatility of this fabrication technique to create gels with different properties.