Antibacterial wound dressing with cross-linked electrospun surface from reduced graphene oxide doped polyvinyl alcohol/sodium caseinate blends

Abstract

In this study, a new biomaterial with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/sodium caseinate (SodCa)/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) structure was developed. Antibacterial effective nanofibers were successfully produced by electrospinning method from 1%, 3%, 5%, and 7% rGO added PVA/SodCa (60:40, w:w) solution mixtures prepared for use as modern wound dressings. To create a usage area, especially in exuding wounds, hydrophilic PVA/SodCa/rGO electrospun mats were cross-linked by dipping them in a glutaraldehyde (GLA) bath. The surface micrographs of all nanofibers were homogeneous and smooth. rGO-doped biomaterials were obtained as thin nanofibers in the range of 301–348 nm. Nanofibers, which were completely soluble in water, after cross-linking preserved their existence in the range of 87%–81% at the end of the 24th hour in distilled water. It was reported that these biomaterials that persist in an aqueous environment show swelling behavior in the range of 275%–608%. The porosity of uncross-linked pure PVA/SodCa nanofibers increased by 46.75% after cross-linking. Moreover, the tensile strength of cross-linked PVA/SodCa electrospun mats increased in the presence of rGO. Provided that wound dressing is done every 24 h with 3% rGO-doped PVA/SodCa nanofiber and provided that wound dressing is done every 48 h with 5% rGO-doped PVA/SodCa nanofiber showed antibacterial activity against S. aureus as 99.38% and 99.55%, respectively.