MXene-modified PMMA/chitosan composite e-skin scaffold: Bioelectronic and antibacterial assessment

In tissue engineering, e-skin patches serve as wearable wound dressings for healing. In this study, electrospun nanofiber composites were developed by integrating PMMA, MXene, and chitosan (CS) to fabricate multifunctional e-skin scaffolds. The resulting PMMA-MXene-CS composite e-skin scaffolds exhibited a uniform fibrous morphology with average diameters of 600 ± 50 nm and high porosity (>85 %), providing an optimal microenvironment for tissue interfacing. Mechanical testing revealed that the PMMX:CS composite e-skin scaffold achieved a tensile strength of 13 MPa, a Young's modulus of 0.38 GPa, and elongation at break of 200 %, representing increases of 225 %, 36 %, and 43 %, respectively, over pure PMMA. Dielectric spectroscopy demonstrated a minimal loss tangent (<0.05) across 10-100 kHz and a built-in potential of 1.19 V, while electrochemical impedance measurements showed a charge-transfer resistance of 1.38 kΩ and a low leakage current, indicating excellent signal fidelity for sensing applications. Thermal conductivity tests under 10 GPa pressure yielded 28 W/m·K, ensuring rapid heat dissipation. Antimicrobial assays against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans confirmed inhibition rates of 95 %, 92 %, and 99 %, respectively, significantly outperforming control samples. Furthermore, antibacterial assays also demonstrated broad-spectrum efficacy, with inhibition zones up to 27.8 mm against Streptococcus pneumoniae and 26.4 mm against Listeria monocytogenes, and zones exceeding 25 mm for both Gram-negative and Gram-positive pathogens. Thus, obtained results revealed that the combination of PMMA, MXene and CS significantly enhanced inhibition against gram-negative bacteria compared to the control groups. Overall, PMMA-MXene-CS composite e-skin scaffold demonstrated promising mechanical, electrical, and antimicrobial properties, positioning them as strong candidates for next-generation flexible, durable, and multifunctional e-skin applications.