Enhanced antibacterial nanocomposite mats by coaxial electrospinning of polycaprolactone fibers loaded with Zn-based nanoparticles

Zn-based (ZnO and Zn acetate) nanoparticles were embedded in coaxial-fibers and uniaxial-fibers polycaprolactone matrices to develop potential antibacterial wound dressings. Coaxial-fibers mats (nps in the outer-shell of fibers) proved to be more efficient by showing similar (or improved) antibacterial effects than those of their corresponding uniaxial-fibers mats, but having smaller amounts of nanoparticles than their counterparts. Antibacterial tests against E. coli and S. aureus indicated that mats, probably, exerted two main antibacterial mechanisms, releasing of Zn2+ ions and photocatalytic ROS generation, which together allowed inhibition of planktonic and biofilm bacterial growth and improvement of mats antibacterial properties upon UVA-light exposure.225