Harsh environment resistant - antibacterial zinc oxide/Polyetherimide electrospun composite scaffolds

Strategies for developing materials with the functionality to combat bacterial infection are targets for applications such as smart bandages and bone tissue integration. This work milestone was to develop ZnO-polyetherimide (ZnO/PEI) composite scaffolds with antibacterial activity against gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and gram-negative (Escherichia coli) bacteria. The electrospinning process using suspensions of PEI with different ZnO nanoparticles content were heightened to promote spinnability, jet stability, and fibers with morphological homogeneity. Simulating harsh environments (laser ablation and solvent corrosion) was employed onto specimens and antibacterial functionality, morphology variations, contact angle, and tensile strength variability were evaluated. The antibacterial outcomes, accessed by a modified version of the Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS) Z 2801, presented an inhibition rate up to 100 and 99% after 24 h for S. aureus and E. coli, respectively. The treated samples presented alike responses against both bacteria, highlighting the robustness of the developed scaffolds.