Synthesis of electrospun PVA/chitosan nanofibrous scaffold impregnated with CuO nanoparticles for wound healing

In the current study, cupric oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) are chemically synthesized and blended with polyvinyl alcohol and chitosan (PVA-CS) solution to produce nanofibrous wound dressing material using an electrospinning technique. The fibrous morphology of CuO-blended nanofibers was studied by SEM, showing smooth beads and uniform nanofibers with an average diameter of around 86.4 nm. The nanofibers are further characterized using XRD to confirm the presence of CuO NPs. The incorporation of CuO NPs with polymer is evident from the peaks obtained from infrared spectrum. The addition of CuO NPs retained the hydrophilic nature of scaffold, as evident from the contact angle measurement. Further, the wound healing properties of scaffold are apparent from the studies such as antioxidant activity, MTT assay, wound scratch assay, and antibacterial studies. These results indicate the greater efficacy of CuO NPs incorporated in PVA/CS for wound healing applications.