Influence of chain topology on gel formation and direct ink printing of model linear and star block copolymers with poly(ethylene oxide) and poly(ε-caprolactone) semi-crystalline blocks

In this work, a set of well-defined linear triblock copolymers and star block copolymers (3 and 4-arms) with semi-crystalline blocks consisting of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL), synthesized by combining ring-opening polymerization and organic catalyst switch strategy, were studied as thermosensitive gel-forming biomaterials for applications in 3D extrusion printing. The hydrogels derived from linear copolymers underwent a temperature-dependent sol–gel–sol transition, behaving as a flowing sol at room temperature and transforming into a non-flowing gel upon heating. On the other hand, the hydrogels derived from 4-arm star block copolymers experienced a gel-sol transition and did not flow at room temperature. This behavior allowed them to be used as 3D printing inks at room temperature. 3D printing results revealed that the semi-crystalline hydrogels of the 4-arm star block copolymers could not only be extruded and printed with high shape fidelity, but they also exhibited a favorable dissolution profile for their use as sacrificial biomaterial inks. Additionally, we thoroughly investigated the crystalline organization of the PCL and the PEO blocks within the hydrogels through comparison with the results obtained in bulk. The results demonstrated evident structural ordering in the hydrogels associated with the crystallization of the PCL blocks. Unexpectedly, DSC results combined with SAXS experiments revealed the presence of PEO block crystals within the 30 % w/v hydrogels from 4-arm star block copolymers, in addition to the PCL block crystals. Hence, remarkable double crystalline hydrogels have been obtained for the first time.