Synthesis, 3D Printing, and Characterization of Biobased Antibacterial Scaffolds Using Acrylated Epoxidized Soybean Oil-co-Hydroxyethyl Methacrylate

There is a significant demand in the biomedical field for shape memory polymers (SMPs) with adjustable biodegradation rates, desirable transition temperatures, and viscoelastic characteristics, as they are essential for implantable medical devices and tissue engineering applications. This research presents the successful development of antibacterial bioscaffolds using a copolymer of acrylated epoxidized soybean oil and hydroxyethyl methacrylate (AESO-co-HEMA) for biomedical applications through digital light processing (DLP) 3D printing. The 3D-printed samples were characterized in terms of mechanical properties, thermal behavior, shape memory effects, biocompatibility, and antibacterial activity. Rheological analysis indicated that the viscosity of the AESO-HEMA inks ranged from 0.23 to 0.41 Pa·s, suitable for DLP 3D printing. Characterization analysis confirmed successful copolymerization, with high gel content (87.4-92.5%) and glass transition temperatures (T_g) between 33.2 °C and 51.3 °C, suitable for biological environments. Mechanical testing indicated that the tensile strength of the scaffolds ranged between 16.3 and 21.1 MPa, with elongation at break between 12.2% and 18.8%. The shape memory behavior was excellent, with a recovery ratio (R_r) exceeding 98%. Antibacterial tests demonstrated significant activity for the curcumin-loaded sample against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Moreover, drug release studies showed a sustained release of curcumin over 10 days. In-vitro biodegradation studies revealed a mass loss of approximately 8.5% over 8 weeks. Furthermore, cell viability assays confirmed high biocompatibility, with L929 fibroblast cells showing significant proliferation and viability on the scaffolds. These findings suggest that AESO-co-HEMA bioscaffolds are promising for various biomedical applications, including tissue engineering and implantable devices, due to their mechanical robustness, biocompatibility, antibacterial properties, and shape memory effects.