Mussel-inspired polydopamine-enabled in situ-synthesized silver nanoparticle-anchored porous polyacrylonitrile nanofibers for wound-healing applications

Wound dressing materials should be biocompatible, bactericidal, porous and mechanically strong. Moreover, the use of cost-effective and environmentally friendly materials is also important for developing wound dressing materials. However, developing scaffolds with all desired properties remains challenging. Herein, we have developed a porous polyacrylonitrile (PPAN) membrane modified by silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) with mussel-inspired polydopamine (PDA) assistance. Polydopamine (PDA) assisted in coating the antibacterial AgNPs uniformly in a size-controlled manner. Additionally, physiochemical properties such as the hydrophilicity and mechanical properties of the PAN membrane were enhanced. The resulting antibacterial membrane was tested for biocompatibility and antibacterial properties. The results showed that the AgNPs-functionalized membrane was biocompatible with fibroblast cells and had bactericidal effects on both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. In summary, this paper presents an approach for improving the physiochemical properties of cost-effective electrospun PAN membranes together with biocompatibility and targeted antibacterial properties.