Preparation of antimicrobial poly(e-caprolactone) electrospun nanofibers containing silver-loaded zirconium phosphate nanoparticles

Antimicrobial nanofibers of poly(E-caprolactone) (PCL) were prepared by electrospinning of a PCL solution with small amounts of silver-loaded zirconium phosphate nanoparticles (nanoAgZ) for potential use in wound dressing applications. The electrospun nanoAgZ-containing PCL nanofibers were characterized using field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectrum (EDX), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), antimicrobial tests, and biocompatibility tests. The SEM, EDX, and XRD investigations of the electrospun fibers confirmed that silver-containing nanoparticles were incorporated and well dispersed in smooth and headless PCL nanofibers. The results of the antimicrobial tests showed that these fibers have maintained the strong killing abilities of Ag⁺ existed in the nanoAgZ against the tested bacteria strains and discoloration has not been observed for the nanofibers. To test the biocompatibility of nanofibers as potential wound dressings, primary human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs) were cultured on the nanofibrous mats. The cultured cells were evaluated in terms of cell proliferation and morphology. The results indicated that the cells attached and proliferated as continuous layers on the nanoAgZ-containing nanofibers and maintained the healthy morphology of HDFs. The earlier results suggested that nanoAgZ-containing fibers may be expected to be a novel material for potential wound dressing applications because of the significant bacteriostatic activities and good biocompatibility.