Polyurethane nanofibrous scaffolds for wound repair: from electrospinning fabrication to biological performance evaluation

Abstract

Abstract This study presents the electrospinning fabrication of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) nanofibrous scaffolds with two fiber architectures; randomly oriented and unidirectionally aligned incorporating olive oil and copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) to enhance biomedical performance. Both scaffold types exhibited robust antibacterial activity: randomly oriented TPU/CuO mats produced inhibition zones of 33.0 mm against Staphylococcus aureus and 19.46 mm against Escherichia coli, whereas aligned mats showed a slight reduction to a 31.0 mm zone against S. aureus. Cytocompatibility assays using HFB4 fibroblasts demonstrated low cytotoxicity, with cell viability rates of 86% for randomly oriented fibers and 96.25% for aligned fibers. Whole-blood clotting tests confirmed rapid hemostatic action in both orientations, underscoring their capacity to promote blood coagulation. Collectively, these multifunctional TPU/CuO/olive oil nanofibrous membranes combine controlled fiber orientation with bioactive filler incorporation to deliver enhanced antimicrobial efficacy, superior cell compatibility, and effective hemostatic properties that position them as promising candidates for next-generation wound-healing dressings.