On the biological performance of graphene oxide-modified chitosan/polyvinyl pyrrolidone nanocomposite membranes: In vitro and in vivo effects of graphene oxide

• Novel fibrous chitosan-based/GO nanocomposites were prepared with properties close to natural skin.
• Model analysis of strengthening mechanism and rheological properties of the biocomposite materials were performed.
• Potential use of the GO-modified biocomposites as temporary skin grafts was demonstrated.
• Fibrous composite mats containing 1.5 wt% GO showed enhanced wound healing in animal models.

Nanofibrous structures that mimic the native extracellular matrix and promote cell adhesion have attracted considerable interest for biomedical applications. In this study, GO-modified nanofibrous biopolymers (GO) were prepared by electrospinning blended solutions of chitosan (80 vol%), polyvinyl pyrrolidone (15 vol%), polyethylene oxide (5 vol%) containing GO nanosheets (0–2 wt%). It is shown that GO nanosheets significantly change the conductivity and viscosity of highly concentrated chitosan solutions, so that ultrafine and uniform fibers with an average diameter of 60 nm are spinnable. The GO-reinforced nanofibers with controlled pore structure exhibit enhanced elastic modulus and tensile strength (150–300%) with a controllable water permeability to meet the required properties of natural skins. Potential use of the GO-modified biocomposites for tissue engineering is demonstrated in mesenchymal stem cell lines extracted from rat's bone marrow. The biocompatibility assay and SEM imaging reveal that the nanofibrous structure promotes the attachment and maintained characteristic cell morphology and viability up to 72 h. In-vivo evaluations in rats show that a faster and more efficient wound closure rate (about 33%) are attained for the 1.5% GO nanofibrous membrane as compared with control (sterile gauze sponges).

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