Efficient Water-Soluble Cu(II) Complex-Immobilized Electrospun Hydrophobic Polycaprolactone Nanofiber Composites for Highly Controlled and Long-Term Release

Abstract

Water-soluble Cu complexes offer diverse applications in the biomedical field as Cu is an essential trace element for many physiological functions, including the wound healing process. Controlled delivery of such bioactive Cu complexes to the target system is a promising approach in biomedical applications. Herein, water-soluble Cu(II)–Schiff base complex-incorporated PCL nanofiber composites (PCL@C–1%, PCL@C–3%, and PCL@C–5%) were fabricated by the electrospinning process using a green solvent, acetic acid. Physicochemical properties of the resultant composite nanofibers were investigated by FE-SEM, EDS, TEM, UV–vis, FT–IR, XRD, TGA, BET, and XPS analyses. The successful incorporation of the Cu(II) complex into the PCL nanofiber was confirmed. Water contact angle (WCA) values revealed the hydrophobic nature of the PCL-composite nanofibers, which is also quite beneficial in the wound-healing process as it can create a hydrophobic barrier to prevent extra fluid absorption. To our delight, the release behavior of Cu complexes from the composite nanofibers was found to be gradual, highly controlled, and long-term release (up to 40 days). In addition, the resultant PCL composites demonstrated excellent antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Overall, these findings provide significant insights into these Cu complex-incorporated PCL nanofiber membranes as potential antibacterial and long-term wound dressings.