Fabrication and characterization of PCL/ZnO-NP nanocomposite for wound dressing applications

Abstract

Nanotechnology has a critical role in biotechnology and medicine with aiming to develop portable, low cost, safe and practical technologies. One of these technologies includes construction of three dimensional biomimetic nanofiber scaffolds with using electrospinning method. Nanofibers have started to be used with the development of nanotechnology in tissue engineering because of its similarity to natural human tissues. The architecture of original extracellular matrix at nanoscale level can be mimicked by these scaffolds. Meanwhile, metal nanoparticles are also used in tissue engineering because of their unique features such as optical, electronic, catalytic, and antibacterial. Zinc oxide (ZnO) is a transition metal oxide and it has good catalytic, electrical, photochemical, optical, antibacterial, enhanced cell proliferation and wound healing properties. Zn ion also acts as regulator for auto debridement and keratinocyte migration, both of which are essential for wound repair. Polycaprolactone (PCL) which is biocompatible and biodegradable synthetic polymer used as biomaterial for various biomedical applications such as tissue engineering scaffolds and wound dressings. In the present study, zinc oxides nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) synthesized by microwave irradiation were used for the fabrication of PCL/ZnO-NP nanocomposite via electrospinning method. The effects of the ZnO nanoparticle concentration on the fiber diameter and fiber morphology were investigated using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The presence of ZnO-NPs in the structure was determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD). It was observed that the average diameter of nanofibers was below micrometers. Overall results showed that PCL/ZnO-NP nanocomposite were found to be suitable for wound dressing applications.

Keywords

• ZnO nanoparticle,PCL,nanofiber,microwave irradiation,wound dressing,antibacterial

References

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