Fabrication and characterization of silver nanowire-coated porous alginate wet-laid webs for wound dressing applications

Wound care presents an imposed financial burden for healthcare organizations, prompting the need for novel and cost-efficient dressings. In this study, we address this challenge by introducing a novel approach to fabricate antibacterial alginate-based fibrous materials using a combination of wet spinning and the wet-laying method, which offer advantages including structural and functional properties such as breathability, nontoxicity, biocompatibility, and cost-effectiveness. The wet spinning method was employed to develop porous and non-porous Ca-alginate fibers with diameters of 100 +/- 4.3 nm and 132 +/- 1.2 nm, respectively. Porous Ca-alginate fibers were fabricated with the utilization of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as a pore-forming polymer. Obtained fibers were cut into 1-2 cm lengths to fabricate wet-laid webs. Finally, silver nanowires (AgNWs) were synthesized and then coated on the wet-laid webs at concentrations of 1 % and 3 % to impart antibacterial properties. FTIR analyses confirmed the successful removal of PVA, and swelling tests demonstrated that both porous and non-porous samples exhibit high swelling ability. The porous wet-laid materials swelled 12 times their initial weight, while this amount was 5 times their initial weight in non-porous wet-laid materials at a 60-min timepiece. SEM analysis verified fiber integrity, and MTT assays showed excellent cytocompatibility. Additionally, in vitro tests highlighted the scaffold's potential to support cell attachment and proliferation. The results demonstrate that wet-laid alginate-based fibrous dressings have low cytotoxicity, superior swelling capacity, antibacterial activity, and biocompatibility. This study underscores the potential of the silver nanowires-coated wet-laid webs as a novel and effective approach for producing multifunctional wound care materials.