Additive Manufacturing of a Photo-Cross-Linkable Polymer via Direct Melt Electrospinning Writing for Producing High Strength Structures

This study demonstrates the fabrication of high-strength, melt-electrospun scaffolds using a photo-cross-linkable poly(L-lactide-co-ε-caprolactone-co-acryloyl carbonate) polymer processed via direct melt electrospinning writing (MEW). UV photo-cross-linking increased scaffold stiffness by nearly an order of magnitude and substantially reduced water-induced plasticization. Mechanical testing showed that cross-linked scaffolds retained a high average fiber modulus (~370 MPa) under hydrated conditions and exhibited exceptional resistance to cyclic tensile loading, surviving up to 200,000 load cycles without failure. These results establish MEW-fabricated, photo-cross-linked scaffolds as mechanically robust candidates for soft connective tissue engineering applications requiring long-term dynamic loading.