Self-Sanitizing Polycaprolactone Electrospun Nanofiber Membrane with Ag Nanoparticles.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Developing effective antimicrobial materials is crucial for public health.
• Electrospun nanofibers offer versatile platforms for material functionalization.
• Biodegradable polymers like polycaprolactone (PCL) are desirable for biomedical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To create an environmentally friendly and scalable method for producing self-sanitizing nanofibers.
• To immobilize silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) onto plasma-treated PCL nanofibers for antimicrobial properties.
• To characterize the distribution, concentration, and release kinetics of Ag NPs and Ag ions.

Main Methods:

• Plasma treatment of PCL nanofibers to introduce carboxyl groups.
• Immobilization of Ag NPs via electrostatic interaction and UV-light reduction.
• Analysis of Ag NP distribution and concentration using EDXS/XPS.
• Quantification of Ag ion release using ICP AES.
• Antimicrobial efficacy testing against various microorganisms and biofilm formation.

Main Results:

• Uniform distribution of Ag NPs achieved on plasma-treated PCL nanofibers.
• Controlled release of Ag ions observed, with a decrease after an initial burst.
• Significant antimicrobial activity demonstrated against gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria, fungi, and biofilms.
• PCL-Ag nanofibers retained substantial surface silver after immersion, indicating stability.

Conclusions:

• A scalable and eco-friendly method for producing self-sanitizing PCL-Ag nanofibers was successfully developed.
• These nanofibers exhibit potent, broad-spectrum antimicrobial properties suitable for applications like wound dressings, water, and air filtration.
• Controlling silver ion concentration and release is key to optimizing efficacy and minimizing potential toxicity.