Novel hybrid electrospun poly(ε-caprolactone) nanofibers containing green and chemical magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles

Abstract

This study investigates the effects of incorporating green and chemical magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (GMIONPs and CMIONPs, respectively) into poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) nanofibrous membranes on their physicochemical, mechanical, morphological, and functional properties. The study evaluates the physicochemical and optical properties of the nanofibrous membranes using water contact angle (WCA), water vapor permeability (WVP), brightness, color determination, UV–visible and gap energy, and light transmission. The mechanical properties were evaluated using Young's modulus, maximum stress (Ϭmax, MPa), and the strain at break (εmax), while the morphological properties were evaluated using confocal microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Functional properties were assessed in terms of antioxidant activity. The results show that incorporating MIONPs significantly affects the properties of the nanofibrous membranes. PCL/GMIONPs membranes exhibit better performance in terms of physicochemical, morphological, and functional properties than PCL/CMIONPs membranes. These findings suggest that PCL/MIONPs nanofibrous membranes could be a promising material for various biomedical applications. The incorporation of different types of magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles into PCL electrospun membranes is an innovative approach that opens up a wide range of potential applications.