Antibacterial Ferroelectric Hybrid Membranes Fabricated via Electrospinning for Wound Healing

In the present study, wound healing ferroelectric membranes doped with zinc oxide nanoparticles were fabricated from vinylidene fluoride-tetrafluoroethylene copolymer and polyvinylpyrrolidone using the electrospinning technique. Five different ratios of vinylidene fluoride-tetrafluoroethylene to polyvinylpyrrolidone were used to control the properties of the membranes at a constant zinc oxide nanoparticle content. It was found that an increase of polyvinylpyrrolidone content leads to a decrease of the spinning solution conductivity and viscosity, causing a decrease of the average fiber diameter and reducing their strength and elongation. By means of X-ray diffraction and infrared spectroscopy, it was revealed that increased polyvinylpyrrolidone content leads to difficulty in crystallization of the vinylidene fluoride-tetrafluoroethylene copolymer in the ferroelectric beta-phase in membranes. Changing the ratio of vinylidene fluoride-tetrafluoroethylene copolymer and polyvinylpyrrolidone with a constant content of zinc oxide nanoparticles is an effective approach to control the antibacterial properties of membranes towards Staphylococcus aureus. After carrying out in vivo experiments, we found that ferroelectric hybrid membranes, containing from five to ten mass percent of PVP, have the greatest wound-healing effect for the healing of purulent wounds.

Automated summary

This study focused on the fabrication of wound healing ferroelectric membranes doped with zinc oxide nanoparticles using the electrospinning technique. By adjusting the ratio of vinylidene fluoride-tetrafluoroethylene copolymer and polyvinylpyrrolidone, the properties of the membranes could be controlled effectively, leading to changes in crystallization behavior and antibacterial properties towards Staphylococcus aureus. In vivo experiments showed that ferroelectric hybrid membranes containing a certain proportion of PVP had the best wound-healing effect for purulent wounds.