Industrial perspectives for personalized microneedles

• Remmi Danae Baker-Sediako,
• Benjamin Richter,
• Matthias Blaicher,
• Michael Thiel and
• Martin Hermatschweiler

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 857–864, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.70

• microneedles may become personalized according to a patient’s demographic in order to increase drug delivery efficiency and reduce healing times for patient-centric care. Keywords: 3D printing; microfabrication; microneedles; personalized medicine; transdermal drug delivery; two-photon polymerization

• that can overcome these challenges [27]. Specifically, light-based 3D printing techniques such as stereolithography (SLA), digital light processing (DLP), and two-photon polymerization (2PP) simplify the rapid prototyping workflow when compared to traditional micro- and nanofabrication methods [28][29

• ][40] (Figure 3). As with most bio-inspired microneedles, they require miniaturization, shape accuracy, and reproducibility for clinical applications. As mentioned above, light-based 3D printing (SLA, DLP, and 2PP) are the newest methods for fabricating microneedles. Each method has its own advantages

Silver-based SERS substrates fabricated using a 3D printed microfluidic device

• Phommachith Sonexai,
• Minh Van Nguyen,
• Bui The Huy and
• Yong-Ill Lee

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 793–803, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.65

• the potential to be a valuable analytical tool for monitoring environmental contaminants. Keywords: 3D printing; microfluidic droplet; SERS substrate; silver nanoparticle; smartphone detection; Introduction Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) has emerged as a powerful optical trace detection

• fabrication, resulting in a low aspect ratio of the achieved features. Because 3D printing enables the creation and testing of objects in short periods of time, it provides a new tool for constructing microfluidic devices. This has led to fast and dynamic developments in chemical synthesis and analytical

• dimension to a scale smaller than a millimeter remains challenging [29]. In the second approach, 3D printing can replace photolithography to fabricate a mold. This approach can achieve a better lateral resolution of printed features down to 100 µm with a higher aspect ratio of the printed channel features

Microneedle-based ocular drug delivery systems – recent advances and challenges

• Piotr Gadziński,
• Anna Froelich,
• Monika Wojtyłko,
• Antoni Białek,
• Julia Krysztofiak and
• Tomasz Osmałek

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1167–1184, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.98

• , biodegradable polymers such as poly(lactic acid), poly(glycolic acid), and non-biodegradable polymers, for example, photolithographic epoxy resins are used [148]. The methods used for the production of microneedles include lithographic or laser techniques, casting, and 3D printing, to mention a few. The laser

• of a light processing-based 3D printing technique. Then its shape was imprinted in the elastomer (Sylgard® 184) and the prepared form was used to obtain the final microneedles by molding. The in vitro tests with the use of a Parafilm/polyethylene/nylon membrane equivalent and a fluid mimicking

• time is certain to cause discomfort to patients. It is also extremely interesting to be able to produce such patches using 3D printing techniques, which repeatedly enable the introduction of appropriate doses of APIs, but also allow the amount to be adjusted to the requirements of a given disease and

Biomimetic chitosan with biocomposite nanomaterials for bone tissue repair and regeneration

• Se-Kwon Kim,
• Sesha Subramanian Murugan,
• Pandurang Appana Dalavi,
• Sebanti Gupta,
• Sukumaran Anil,
• Gi Hun Seong and
• Jayachandran Venkatesan

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1051–1067, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.92

• promising applications in bone tissue engineering [55]. 3D printing chitosan material for bone tissue engineering The 3D printing is an emerging technique used in tissue engineering, in which biomaterials are 3D printed to mimic the native tissue architecture. In bone tissue engineering and regenerative

• fused deposition model at 210 °C with a layer height of 200 µm. The in vitro ability of the 3D-printed scaffolds was evaluated in human osteosarcoma cells and the results show that the composites are biocompatible and nontoxic to the cells [125]. An extrusion-based 3D printing of methacrylate chitosan

• adhesion and migration of mesenchymal stem cells confirmed by cell adhesion and morphology studies. The cell differentiation activity of 3D-printed scaffolds was confirmed by the alkaline phosphatase activity assay on the 14th day [127]. Liu et al. (2020) has used 3D printing and electrospinning for the

Fabrication and testing of polymer microneedles for transdermal drug delivery

• Vahid Ebrahiminejad,
• Zahra Faraji Rad,
• Philip D. Prewett and
• Graham J. Davies

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 629–640, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.55

• multistage fabrication processes with high production costs [7]. Similarly, laser ablation and lithography techniques are costly, requiring extended production time [8]. To overcome the current manufacturing limitations, MNs might be fabricated cost-effectively, with high precision and accuracy, using 3D

• printing and TPP techniques [9][10][11]. Although additive manufacturing (AM) techniques are usually viewed as time-consuming processes, modifications and optimizations of printing parameters within the codes and algorithms of AMs can lead to significant reductions in production time [11]. MN arrays are

Micro- and nanotechnology in biomedical engineering for cartilage tissue regeneration in osteoarthritis

• Zahra Nabizadeh,
• Mahmoud Nasrollahzadeh,
• Hamed Daemi,
• Mohamadreza Baghaban Eslaminejad,
• Ali Akbar Shabani,
• Mehdi Dadashpour,
• Majid Mirmohammadkhani and
• Davood Nasrabadi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 363–389, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.31

• candidates for biomedical applications (Table 1). Collagen fibril and fibrous proteins are naturally occurring nanofibers whose fiber diameters range between 50 and 150 nm, depending on tissue type and function. Various techniques to fabricate nanofibers include 3D printing, molecular self-assembly

An overview of microneedle applications, materials, and fabrication methods

• Zahra Faraji Rad,
• Philip D. Prewett and
• Graham J. Davies

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 1034–1046, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.77

• methods has been constrained by the limitations and high cost of microfabrication technology. Additive manufacturing processes such as 3D printing and two-photon polymerization fabrication are promising transformative technologies developed in recent years. The present article provides an overview of

• microelectromechanical systems. Alternative manufacturing processes, such as 3D printing and two-photon polymerization (TPP), are promising new transformative technologies developed in recent years. These additive manufacturing methods use layer-by-layer processing to create 3D structures. Unlike other microfabrication

• injection moulding [61], wet chemical etching [75], reactive ion etching [2][76], hot embossing [4][5], laser drilling [77], lithography plus electroforming [78][79], drawing lithography [80][81], two-photon polymerization [5][82], and 3D printing [83][84]. To date, DRIE of silicon; micromoulding

A review on the green and sustainable synthesis of silver nanoparticles and one-dimensional silver nanostructures

• Sina Kaabipour and
• Shohreh Hemmati

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 102–136, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.9

• delivery [1][2][3][4][5][6], nanomedicine [7][8][9][10], food packaging [11][12][13], aseptic procedures [14][15][16], correlative microscopy [17], imaging [18][19][20][21][22], optics [23][24], microelectronics [25][26][27], three dimensional (3D) printing [27][28][29][30][31], renewable energy [32][33

Wet-spinning of magneto-responsive helical chitosan microfibers

• Dorothea Brüggemann,
• Johanna Michel,
• Naiana Suter,
• Matheus Grande de Aguiar and
• Michael Maas

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 991–999, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.83

• engineering [40] or to facilitate 3D printing of magnetized chitosan solutions into helical microswimmers for drug delivery [11]. In the future, the incorporation of magnetic particles into biocompatible fibers might pave the way for the development of new soft biological motors, which can mechanically steer

• , we initially used different blend solutions prepared using an IOP concentration range varying between 1 and 10 mg·mL−1. This is the same concentration range previously used for 3D-printing chitosan helices [11]. Microfibers were then prepared by wet-spinning in our self-built wet-spinning setup

Gold and silver dichroic nanocomposite in the quest for 3D printing the Lycurgus cup

• Lars Kool,
• Floris Dekker,
• Anton Bunschoten,
• Glen J. Smales,
• Brian R. Pauw,
• Aldrik H. Velders and
• Vittorio Saggiomo

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 16–23, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.2

• Lycurgus cup. Keywords: 3D printing; dichroism; Lycurgus cup; nanocomposite; Introduction The Lycurgus cup is, without any doubt, one of the most fascinating glass artefacts in the history of humankind [1]. This 4th century Roman cup, classified as cage cup, is a wonderful masterpiece of glass working

• AuNP nanocomposite which presents a dichroic effect, showing a brownish colour in reflection and a violet colour in transmission [9]. Driven by the curiosity of reproducing the green/red dichroic effect of the Lycurgus cup using modern knowledge on nanoparticles and recent technology like 3D printing

• any great differences in the size distribution of the nanoparticles (Supporting Information File 1, Figure S3), proving that the nanoparticles do not show drastic changes during the fabrication and the 3D printing of the AgNP@PVA. We extruded the nanocomposite into a 3 mm filament which was used to

Gold nanoparticles embedded in a polymer as a 3D-printable dichroic nanocomposite material

• Lars Kool,
• Anton Bunschoten,
• Aldrik H. Velders and
• Vittorio Saggiomo

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 442–447, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.43

• occurrence of shiny colors in pottery and glass made hundreds and thousand of years ago is due to the presence of nanoparticles in the fabrication of such ornaments. In the last decade, 3D printing has revolutionized fabrication and manufacturing processes, making it easier to produce, in a simple and fast

• , for example, for the 3D fabrication of optical filters. Keywords: 3D printing; dichroism; gold nanoparticles; nanocomposite; Introduction As evidenced by paleolithic cave paintings [1], humans have always been fascinated by colors. Next to the traditional inorganic and organic colorants

• effect was most probably due to serendipity rather than to master craftsmanship. In recent years, 3D printing technology has revolutionized the prototyping and fabrication process, pushing the manufacturing of objects from factories to houses. Within the 3D printing world, scientists have also started

Liquid-crystalline nanoarchitectures for tissue engineering

• Baeckkyoung Sung and
• Min-Ho Kim

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 205–215, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.22

• -based materials) could widen practical uses in biomedicine. In addition, a combination with 3D printing techniques will open a new way to build complex 3D tissue constructs [115]. More detailed understanding on the structural change in LC scaffold induced by the degradation and remodeling by embedded

Surface functionalization of 3D-printed plastics via initiated chemical vapor deposition

• Christine Cheng and
• Malancha Gupta

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 1629–1636, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.162

• Christine Cheng Malancha Gupta Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering and Material Science, University of Southern California, 925 Bloom Walk, Los Angeles, California 90089, USA 10.3762/bjnano.8.162 Abstract 3D printing is a useful fabrication technique because it offers design

• flexibility and rapid prototyping. The ability to functionalize the surfaces of 3D-printed objects allows the bulk properties, such as material strength or printability, to be chosen separately from surface properties, which is critical to expanding the breadth of 3D printing applications. In this work, we

• microfluidics. Keywords: 3D printing; chemical vapor deposition; coatings; functional polymers; surface modification; Introduction Three-dimensional printing (3DP) is a useful fabrication technique that offers rapid and low-cost prototyping, high levels of design complexity, and resolution on the micron scale

3D Nanoprinting via laser-assisted electron beam induced deposition: growth kinetics, enhanced purity, and electrical resistivity

• Brett B. Lewis,
• Robert Winkler,
• Xiahan Sang,
• Pushpa R. Pudasaini,
• Michael G. Stanford,
• Harald Plank,
• Raymond R. Unocic,
• Jason D. Fowlkes and
• Philip D. Rack

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 801–812, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.83

• : additive manufacturing; beam induced processing; 3D printing; direct-write; electron beam induced deposition; microscopy; nanofabrication; pulsed laser; purification; rapid prototyping; Introduction The first fully incorporated 3D transistor logic was reported in 2012 [1]. Further 3D device concepts and

Biological and biomimetic materials and surfaces

• Stanislav Gorb and
• Thomas Speck

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 403–407, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.42

• articles of this Thematic Series, Egorov et al. proposed a relatively simple protocol for 3D printing of complex-shaped biocompatible structures based on sodium alginate and calcium phosphate for bone tissue engineering [24]. The analysis of 3D printed structures shows that they possess large

3D printing of mineral–polymer bone substitutes based on sodium alginate and calcium phosphate

• Aleksey A. Egorov,
• Alexander Yu. Fedotov,
• Anton V. Mironov,
• Vladimir S. Komlev,
• Vladimir K. Popov and
• Yury V. Zobkov

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1794–1799, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.172

• Research Centre "Crystallography and Photonics", Russian Academy of Sciences, 2 Pionerskaya St., 142092 Troitsk, Moscow, Russia 10.3762/bjnano.7.172 Abstract We demonstrate a relatively simple route for three-dimensional (3D) printing of complex-shaped biocompatible structures based on sodium alginate and

• calcium phosphate (CP) for bone tissue engineering. The fabrication of 3D composite structures was performed through the synthesis of inorganic particles within a biopolymer macromolecular network during 3D printing process. The formation of a new CP phase was studied through X-ray diffraction, Fourier

• diameter ≈800 μm) and were found to possess compressive strengths from 0.45 to 1.0 MPa. This new approach can be effectively applied for fabrication of biocompatible scaffolds for bone tissue engineering constructions. Keywords: 3D printing; bone graft; calcium phosphate; composite materials; sodium

Nano- and microstructured materials for in vitro studies of the physiology of vascular cells

• Alexandra M. Greiner,
• Adria Sales,
• Hao Chen,
• Sarah A. Biela,
• Dieter Kaufmann and
• Ralf Kemkemer

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1620–1641, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.155

• specific fabrication system that can be grouped in either laser-based system, 3D printing setups, and nozzle-based settings [46][47][48]. We group these fabrication techniques by the size and spatial resolution of the surface features that can be achieved. Not every method is suitable for the production of

Focused particle beam-induced processing

• Michael Huth and
• Armin Gölzhäuser

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 1883–1885, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.191

• Michael Huth Armin Golzhauser Goethe Universität, Physikalisches Institut, Max-von-Laue-Str. 1, D-60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany Universität Bielefeld, Fakultät für Physik, Universitätsstr. 25, D-33615 Bielefeld, Germany 10.3762/bjnano.6.191 In light of the success of 3D printing using fused

• nanoscale. However, in contrast with large-scale 3D printing of plastic or metallic structures, FPBID provides nanomaterials with a wealth of interesting electronic, optical and magnetic properties. Due to this, focused electron beam-induced deposition (FEBID) has experienced a rapid expansion in the

Biocalcite, a multifunctional inorganic polymer: Building block for calcareous sponge spicules and bioseed for the synthesis of calcium phosphate-based bone

• Xiaohong Wang,
• Heinz C. Schröder and
• Werner E. G. Müller

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 610–621, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.72

• CA (Figure 5). Future direction: 3D printing In the repair of critical-size bone defects, autogenous bone grafts are considered to be the gold standard [67]. This technique has, however, several limitations which cannot be solved by using allogenous bone grafts, which have additional disadvantages

• vascularization and tissue supply with oxygen. Much progress has been achieved in rapid prototyping/3D printing techiques in the last years. 3D printing is a computer-controlled layer-by-layer technology. Thereby a binder (binding solution) is printed into each layer of powder, a step-wise process that finally

• results, after blowing-away the unbound powder, in a 3D printed copy of the sliced virtual model [70][71]. 3D printing has turned out to be of promising technique for the fabrication of implants used as bone substitution materials [72]. The advantage of this method is that the implants can be customized

Continuous parallel ESI-MS analysis of reactions carried out in a bespoke 3D printed device

• Jennifer S. Mathieson,
• Mali H. Rosnes,
• Victor Sans,
• Philip J. Kitson and
• Leroy Cronin

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2013, 4, 285–291, doi:10.3762/bjnano.4.31

• using three-dimensional (3D) printing, which can be directly linked to a high-resolution electrospray ionisation mass spectrometer (ESI-MS) for real-time, in-line observations. To highlight the potential of the setup, supramolecular coordination chemistry was carried out in the device, with the product

• parallel analysis; ESI-MS; 3D printing; reactionware; supramolecular chemistry; Introduction Flow chemistry is a growing field that can increase productivity and control, ensure reproducibility and reduce manual handling [1]. There is currently a huge interest in directly interfacing milli- and

• /outcome. Traditionally, when interfacing flow devices with ESI-MS analysis complicated and expensive microscale fluidic devices have been required. Herein, we present an approach interfacing ESI-MS with a 3D-printed milliscale device, or tailored “reactionware” [4]. The use of 3D printing bypasses