FABRICATION OF COPPER OXIDE NANOPARTICLES DOPED PCL/PVP NANOFIBROUS MATS BY ELECTROSPINNING AND EVALUATION OF THEIR ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITIES

Abstract

In this study, PCL/PVP/CuO nanofibrous mats for antibacterial applications were fabricated by electrospinning technique using PCL/PVP as a biopolymer matrix and copper oxide nanoparticles (CuONPs) as antimicrobial agents. PCL/PVP/CuO nanofibrous mats were successfully produced by doping different ratios of CuONPs (0.5%, 1%, and 2% wt) into the PCL/PVP solution. The chemical, morphological, and wetting properties of the prepared composite nanofibrous mats were evaluated by FT-IR, FE-SEM analysis, and water contact angle measurements. The morphological investigation indicated that the fiber diameters of the resulting nanofibers decreased as the CuONP content added to the PCL/PVP matrix increased, and the mean fiber diameter value measured for the PCL/PVP/2%CuONPs nanofibrous sample was 186.73. Moreover, wetting behavior of nanofiber surfaces displayed that the incorporation of PVP significantly enhanced the surface wettability of PCL with hydrophobic properties, but the addition of CuONPs to the obtained PCL/PVP matrix decreased it. An in vitro bactericidal assay was performed to investigate the efficacy of PCL/PVP/CuO nanofibrous samples against Staphylococcus aureus. The addition of CuONPs to the fibers led to antibacterial activity, which was found to increase with higher doping ratios. The results showed the potential of PCL/PVP/CuO nanofibrous mats to serve as an effective biomaterial for antibacterial applications.