Hydrogel-Inducing Graphene-Oxide-Derived Core-Shell Fiber Composite for Antibacterial Wound Dressing.

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Hydrophilic nanofibers are promising for wound healing applications.
• Optimizing drug release kinetics is crucial for effective antibacterial coatings.
• Core-shell electrospun fibers offer a versatile platform for drug delivery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate polymer-crosslinker interactions in hydrophilic nanofibers for antibacterial wound coatings.
• To develop a core-shell fiber composite using coaxial electrospinning for optimized drug release.
• To evaluate the antibacterial functionality of chlorhexidine digluconate (CHX) encapsulated nanofibers.

Main Methods:

• Coaxial electrospinning to create core-shell nanofibers with polyvinyl alcohol, polyethylene glycol, amorphous silica (PVA-PEG-SiO2) in the core, and polyvinyl alcohol with graphene oxide (PVA-GO) in the shell.
• Utilizing graphene oxide (GO) and silica (SiO2) as crosslinkers to induce hydrogel transition upon moisture contact.
• Encapsulating chlorhexidine digluconate (CHX) in the core of the PVA-PEG-SiO2-1x-CHX@PVA-GO composite fibers.
• Assessing drug release kinetics using zero-order, first-order, Higuchi, and Korsmeyer-Peppas models.

Main Results:

• The crosslinking of GO and SiO2 initiated a hydrogel transition, optimizing drug release.
• Inclusion of crosslinking silica extended the degradation and release rate of the encapsulated drug.
• The CHX-medicated core-shell composite demonstrated sustained antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus.

Conclusions:

• The developed hydrophilic nanofibers exhibit effective polymer-crosslinker interactions for antibacterial wound coatings.
• The core-shell structure and hydrogel transition mechanism successfully optimize drug release kinetics.
• This technology provides a sustainable antibacterial solution for wound management.