Fabrication of amine-functionalized and multi-layered PAN-(TiO2)-gelatin nanofibrous wound dressing: In-vitro evaluation

The development of advanced multifunctional wound dressings remains a major challenge. Herein, a novel multilayer (ML) electrospun nanofibers (NFs) wound dressing based on diethylenetriamine (DETA) functionalized polyacrylonitrile (PAN), TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) coating (Ct), and bioderived gelatin (Gel) was developed for potential applications in wound healing. The ML PAN-DETA-Ct-Gel membrane was developed by combining electrospinning, chemical functionalization, synthesis, and electrospray techniques, using a layer-by-layer method. The ML PAN-DETA-Ct-Gel membrane is comprised of an outer layer of PAN-DETA as a barrier to external microorganisms and structural support, an interlayer TiO2 NPs (Ct) as antibacterial function, and a contact layer (Gel) to improve biocompatibility and cell viability. The NFs membranes were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), surface profilometry, BET analysis, and water contact angle techniques to investigate their morphology, surface roughness, porosity, and wettability. The ML PAN-DETA-Ct-Gel wound dressing exhibited good surface roughness, porosity, and better wettability. Cell morphology, proliferation, and viability were determined using fibroblasts (3T3), and antibacterial assays were performed against six pathogens. The ML PAN-DETA-Ct-Gel NFs membrane showed good cell morphology, proliferation, viability, and antibacterial activity compared with other membranes. This new class of ML NFs membranes offers a multifunctional architecture with adequate biocompatibility, cell viability, and antibacterial activity.