3D-Carbon · 3D Printing of Pyrolytic and Graphitic Carbon

3D Printing of Pyrolytic and Graphitic Carbon

3D printed carbon materials hold great promise for bone tissue engineering due to their cytocompatibility, mechanical strength, and electrical conductivity. However, current additive manufacturing strategies for carbon are limited primarily to ink-based printing methods using graphene or carbon nanotubes dispersed in polymeric matrices. While such composites provide some level of functionality, the polymer host compromises carbon purity, structural stability, and reproducibility, thereby restricting their performance and long-term application. Pyrolytic carbon, produced through the thermal conversion of polymers, offers a route to fabricate pure, highly stable carbon structures with tunable micro- and nano-architectures. Nevertheless, the use of 3D printed pyrolytic carbon (3DPyC) in tissue engineering remains almost unexplored. Challenges persist in achieving high graphitization, ensuring reproducibility, and maintaining control over mechanical and surface properties. Furthermore, the reliance on commercial photoresins of undisclosed chemical composition has limited mechanistic understanding and hindered systematic optimization of scaffold properties. The 3D-Carbon project aimed to overcome these challenges with three main objectives: (1) to introduce and systematically study a chemically well-defined precursor resin to enable controlled 3D printing of pyrolytic carbon (3DPyC) with tunable microstructural and material properties; (2) to develop an effective pathway to fabricate 3D printed highly graphitic carbon (3DGC) materials; and (3) to investigate the interactions between cells and 3D printed carbon lattices, evaluating their cytocompatibility and suitability for bone tissue engineering applications. Achieving these objectives provides a reproducible and scalable approach for fabricating high-performance carbon scaffolds with precise control over structure and functionality. The project’s outcomes align with EU strategic priorities in advanced manufacturing and regenerative medicine, laying the groundwork for innovative bioelectronic implants and personalized tissue engineering solutions with broad clinical and industrial relevance.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union