3D Photoinduced Spatiotemporal Resolution of Cellulose-Based Hydrogels for Fabrication of Biomedical Devices

Rational spatiotemporal irradiation of cellulose-based hydrogels (carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), citric acid, and riboflavin) using a laser diode stereolithography 3D printer obtained architectures referred to as photodegradation addressable hydrogels (PAHs). Under irradiation, these PAHs engage in an unprecedented spatially resolved zonal swelling illustrating marked but controllable changes in swelling and thickness while concomitantly obtaining improved oxygen transmission rate values by 5 times. XPS, carboxyl content, and swelling data comparisons of hydrogel formulations show that photodegradation and ablation of the material occur, where hydroxyl sites of CMC are converted to aldehydes and ketones. XRD data show that the total number of crystalline aggregates in the material are lowered after photoablation. The spatially tuned (photoablated) hydrogel films can thus be shaped into a lens form. The energy required for the lens tuning process can be lowered up to 30 times by incorporation of riboflavin in the films. The method demonstrated here enables the processing of a material that is difficult to be machined or cast by popular contact lens making methods.