Preparation and Antibiosis Investigation of Kaolinite Nanotubes and Silver Nanowires Co-Doped Electrospinning-Silk Fibroin/Gelatin Porous Fiber Films

Skin wounds are one of the most common injuries for the human body; they can lead to an infection and cause tissue necrosis and even life-threatening injuries. Therefore, it is an urgent task to develop skin scaffold materials to meet the various needs of restoring skin’s structural integrity. In this research, kaolinite nanotubes and silver nanowires co-doped silk fibroin and gelatin composite porous fiber films were fabricated by an electrospinning method. The composition, micrograph, chemical states of elements included, biocompatibility, and antimicrobial properties of the samples produced were analyzed. After co-doping kaolinite nanotubes and silver nanowires, the fiber diameter of the porous fiber films became uniform, and the beads in the film were reduced significantly. The silk fibroin/gelatin/kaolinite nanotubes/silver nanowire (SF/GEL/KA-N/AgNWs) film shows antibacterial activity against S. aureus and E. coli, and the antibacterial rings were 7.42 mm and 5.76 mm, respectively. All the films were free of cytotoxicity and provided good biocompatibility, which is a great clinical application potential in skin.