Ice-Inspired Superlubricated Electrospun Nanofibrous Membrane for Preventing Tissue Adhesion

Inspired by the superlubricated surface (SLS) of ice, which consists of an ultrathin and contiguous layer of surface-bound water, we built a SLS on the polycaprolactone (PCL)/poly(2-methacryloxyethylphosphorylcholine) (PMPC) composite nanofibrous membrane via electrospinning under controlled relative humidity (RH). The zwitterionic PMPC on the nanofiber provided a surface layer of bound water, thus generating a hydration lubrication surface. Prepared under 20% RH, electrospun PCL/PMPC nanofibers reached a minimum coefficient of friction (COF) of about 0.12 when the weight ratio of PMPC to PCL was 0.1. At a higher RH, a SLS with an ultralow COF of less than 0.05 was formed on the composite nanofibers. The high stability of the SLS hydration layer on the engineered nanofibrous membrane effectively inhibited fibroblast adhesion and markedly reduced tissue adhesion during tendon repair in vivo. This work demonstrates the great potential of this ice-inspired SLS approach in tissue adhesion-prevention applications.