Biopolymer-chitin products by direct ink writing (DIW): A review

Abstract

The role of chitin has been focused in the domain of biochemistry, materials science, medicine, and environmental science due to its non-toxicity, biodegradability, thermostability, and biocompatibility. The projection period between 2023 and 2033 is predicted to have a significant Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 12.3 % in the worldwide chitin market and according to reports, the Young's modulus of chitin crystals is 150 GPa, which is comparable to cellulose crystals (134 GPa). In comparison to other chitin fabrication techniques like electrospinning and solvent casting, DIW method is more effective for producing complex 3D geometries. DIW is a flexible technique that covers a range of substances, such as natural polymers (carrageenan, cellulose, silk, chitin), synthetic polymers (polyurethane, polyvinylalcohol, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene), ceramics and composites in the form of ink. The present review provides an insight into the fabrication of chitin based products by DIW approach and introduces a key and essential acquaintance of chitin biopolymer-based ink creation in a variety of forms, including chitin nanofibers, and chitin whiskers, followed by the fabrication of polymer stripes patterned on chitin films with the ability to transform into intricate multidimensional architectures using the DIW process, and also highlighted the crucial and critical understanding of the utilization of chitin biopolymer-based materials in the engineering of bone tissue, shape-morphing film, and skin bearing architecture and their possible future in an abundance of industries.

Keywords

• Chitin-based materials
• Direct ink writing
• Skin bearing architecture
• Bone tissue engineering
• Soft robots