Porous micro-/nano-fibrous silver-coated polymeric scaffolds with tunable mechanical properties for wound healing applications

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2025

Abstract

Electro-spun scaffolds of poly(glycerol sebacate/poly(ε-caprolactone)(PGS/PCL) poly(methyl methacrylate)–poly(ε-caprolactone)(PMMA/PCL) have been using for biomedical applications of tissues engineering due to their attractive thermal, optical, and mechanical properties. In this work, we fabricate both nano-/micro-fibrous scaffolds from a hybrid material composite of PMMA/PCL and PGS/PCL fiber using a standard electro-spinning method and coat one side of the scaffolds with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). This method of AgNPs coating prevents the scaffold (substrate) from melting behavior, and AgNPs coating reduces the pore diameter and increases fiber diameter, which improves their thermo-mechanical properties. Thereafter, we compare the mechanical properties of pristine PGS/PCL scaffold polymers; PMMA/PCL polymers with the AgNPs-coated PGS/PCL, PMMA/PCL scaffolds. The PMMA/PCL composite fibrous scaffolds show a higher modulus (E), tensile strength (TS), and lower tensile strain without any post-processing. These AgNPs-coated composite fibrous scaffolds provide potential applications in biomedical research fields, such as in fabricating of surgical meshes, bandages, and Band-Aids. Further, the enhanced antibacterial activities of AgNPs, which are used as a coating to our hybrid composite scaffolds, contribute to wound healing.

Publication Title

Polymer Bulletin

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