Blended films containing polybutyrolactam and chitosan for potential wound dressing applications

ABSTRACT In this study, polybutyrolactam (PBA) was synthesized, and the PBA/chitosan (CS) blended films were fabricated for wound dressings. The results showed that the surface roughness of the blended films decreased with the increasing ratios of CS. In addition, the tensile strength of the film with 50 wt % CS (NC50) was about 33.6 MPa and the highest compared with other films. The hydrophilicity of the blended films gradually decreased while the water vapor transmission rates (WVTRs) increased with the increase of CS content. Moreover, the blended films could be biodegradable in phosphate buffer saline. Both PBA and blended films were non‐toxic and good for L929 cells growth, showing good cytocompatibility. Furthermore, the NC50 was found to promote the cell proliferation better than other groups. It can be suggested that the NC50 combined the advantages of both PBA and CS well. Therefore, the NC50 with good cytocompatibility, mechanical properties, and WVTRs might be suitable for wound dressing applications. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018 , 135 , 46511.