Surface Modification of Electrospun Polyethylenimine/Polyvinyl Alcohol Nanofibers Immobilized with Silver Nanoparticles for Potential Antibacterial Applications

Objective: In order to investigate the potential biomedical applications of silver nanoparticle (Ag NP)-immobilized electrospun nanofibers with different surface functionalities. Methods: Silver nanoparticles were immobilized within water-stable electrospun polyethylenimine (PEI)/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nanofibers by an in-situ reduction method after complexing Ag + . ions with the free PEI amine groups. The obtained Ag NP-incorporated PEI/PVA nanofibers were then hydroxylated, carboxylated, and acetylated to generate different surface functionalities. Different techniques were employed to characterize the Ag NP-containing nanofibers with different surface functionalities.> Results: In vitro antibacterial activity tests show that Ag NP-containing nanofibrous mats have high antibacterial activity and are capable of inhibiting the growth of both S. aureus and E. coli bacteria. Cell viability assay data show that the Ag NP-containing nanofibers are cytocompatible, and those treated by hydroxylation and acetylation display better cytocompatibility than those treated by carboxylation and the pristine non-modified fibers to promote cell adhesion and proliferation. Conclusion: Therefore, the hydroxylated or acetylated Ag NP-containing PEI/PVA nanofibers have a great potential for wound dressing, biological protection and tissue engineering applications.