Nanoimprint Lithography of Biodegradable Photopolymers for Micro- and Nano-Pattern Fabrication

Abstract

Micropatterned surfaces are of increasing interest in tissue engineering, as surface properties can directly influence cell adhesion, proliferation, and overall biological integration. However, the fabrication of such topographies using biodegradable photopolymers remains largely unexplored. In this study, amino acid–based phosphorodiamidate (APdA) resins were investigated to asses their compatibility with nanoimprint lithography (NIL). These photopolymers degrade under physiological conditions (37 °C, pH 7.4), releasing non-toxic byproducts, making them attractive for biomedical applications. Three biodegradable formulations were evaluated and compared against the benchmark material OrmoComp®. The results demonstrated that APdA-based photopolymers can replicate micro- and nanoscale features with high fidelity, although material–stamp compatibility and feature-size replication remain limiting factors. Degradation studies confirmed their ability to gradually erode under simulated physiological conditions, while hybrid fabrication experiments showed the feasibility of integrating NIL with 3D printing approaches on both porous and curved scaffolds. Altogether, these findings establish APdA-based photopolymers as promising candidates for surface functionalization of biodegradable implants. Future work should focus on improving stamp compatibility, refining degradation analysis, and developing standardized hybrid fabrication strategies to enable clinical translation in applications such as implants for bone augmentation in the oral cavity and soft tissue integration.

Date of Award	2025
Original language	English
Supervisor	Jaroslaw Jacak (Supervisor)