Argon plasma-treated electrospun poly(hydroxylauric acid-ε-caprolactone)-ω-aminolauric acid-montmorillonite nanofiber composite: A potential scaffold material for wound dressing application

In the current work, the effects of argon plasma treatment on the surface modification of electrospun poly(hydroxylauric acid-epsilon-caprolactone), p(HOLA-epsilon-CL) clay nanofiber composites were studied to investigate the limitation's and possibilities of improving surface characterization on fibrous assemblies with potential use as biocompatible scaffolding for wound dressing. Incorporation of constituent monomers epsilon-caprolactone (E-CL) were monitored by FTIR. Duncan's Multiple Range Test (DMRT) at 5% level of significance showed that the nanofibers with 5% ALA-MMT loading inhibited the growth of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coll. Plasma treatment (5 mA at 5 min) enhanced the inhibitory effect to both microorganisms. Electrospun nanofibers made of synthetic biodegradable polymer poly (hydroxylauric acid-epsilon-Caprolactone)-omega-aminolauric acid-montmorillonite (ALA-MMT) treated with argon plasma also showed increased hydrophilicity, with contact angle less than 90 degrees compared to the untreated nanofibers with a contact angle of greater than 90 degrees, which is hydrophobic. This hydrophilicity is expected to promote a moist environment that prevents dehydration. Thus, the argon plasma-treated nanofibers, with hydrophilic characteristics and antibacterial properties can be used as scaffold for biomedical application, such as for wound dressing.