Collagen coated electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL) with titanium dioxide (TiO2) from an environmentally benign solvent: preliminary physico-chemical studies for skin substitute

Fabrication of nanofibers with some biomaterials based on natural materials (collagen) through electrospinning is an important area for research. The effect of collagen coating on polycaprolactone (PCL) nanofiber surfaces was studied here. In this work, PCL nanofibers with titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanopowder were used for the development of active wound dressings. We used glacial acetic acid as an environmentally benign solvent. The prepared nanofibers were coated with collagen by soaking the scaffold in 10 mg/mL and 20 mg/ml collagen solution overnight. The samples produced were subjected to contact angle measurements, SEM, FTIR, and XRD, and mechanical strength was determined. Nanofibers in the range of 200-800 nm were produced. The other study confirmed the physical interaction between collagen and PCL. The hydrophilicity of PCL nanofibers was increased; this was confirmed by observing contact angle values. A hydrophilic surface on the scaffold is necessary for biomedical applications. FTIR have proved the presence of an amide group on the PCL structure that facilitates cell adhesion and proliferation. SEM images have clearly proved the formation of nanofibers as well as the attachment of collagen to PCL nanofibers. XRD has shown the crystalline nature of the PCL polymer. PCL can impart more mechanical strength, although incorporation of collagen has decreased the tensile strength to some extent.