Electrospun functionalized polyaniline copolymer-based nanofibers with potential application in tissue engineering.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Biomedical Engineering
• Polymer Chemistry

Background:

• Developing advanced materials for tissue engineering and wound healing is crucial.
• Current antimicrobial dressings have limitations that necessitate novel solutions.
• Conducting polymers and biodegradable polymers offer unique properties for biomedical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate and characterize nanofibrous blends of poly(aniline-co-3-aminobenzoic acid) (3ABAPANI) and poly(lactic acid) (PLA).
• To evaluate the bioactivity, mechanical, electrical, and morphological properties of these nanofibrous blends.
• To assess the potential of these blends as tissue engineering scaffolds and functional wound dressings.

Main Methods:

• Electrospinning of 3ABAPANI-PLA blends in varying proportions using a dimethyl sulfoxide/tetrahydrofuran solvent mixture.
• Characterization of nanofiber morphology, mechanical properties, and electrical conductivity.
• In vitro assessment of cell morphology, biocompatibility, and proliferation of COS-1 fibroblast cells on nanofibrous mats.
• Evaluation of antimicrobial capability against Staphylococcus aureus.

Main Results:

• Successful fabrication of interconnected 3D nanofibrous mats of 3ABAPANI-PLA blends.
• Demonstrated enhanced cell growth and proliferation on the nanofibrous mats.
• Exhibited potent antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus.
• Achieved significant electrical conductivity in the blended nanofibers.

Conclusions:

• The electrospun 3ABAPANI-PLA nanofibrous blends exhibit promising properties for biomedical applications.
• These materials show potential as next-generation tissue engineering scaffolds.
• The blends are particularly promising for developing advanced functional wound dressings with antimicrobial capabilities.