Light-Based 3D Printing of Polyesters: From Synthesis to Fabrication

Polyesters represent a versatile class of materials whose biodegradability, biocompatibility, mechanical tunability, and broad chemical design space have made them valuable across a wide range of application areas, including tissue engineering, biomedical engineering, sustainable manufacturing, and soft robotics. Light-based 3D printing has further expanded their potential by enabling precise spatial control across nano- to macroscales, supporting the fabrication of resorbable implants, drug-delivery systems, microneedle arrays, and stimuli-responsive materials. This review discusses the essential steps toward light-based 3D printing of polyesters from synthetic strategies for producing these materials to functionalization methods that render them suitable for light-based 3D printing. Particular attention is given to the synthetic origin of the polyester, the way photoreactive groups are introduced and organized within the network, and how the formulation of the resulting photoresin together govern the ultimate photoreactivity, degradation behavior, print resolution, and mechanical performance. Advantages and limitations of current photochemical approaches are discussed across different light-based 3D printing technologies. With continuing advancements in manufacturing, the field of light-based 3D printing of polyesters shows substantial promise, poised to redefine material design, and influence a broad range of future technologies.