A high-efficient antibacterial and biocompatible polyurethane film with Ag@rGO nanostructures prepared by microwave-assisted method: Physicochemical and dermal wound healing evaluation

Wound infections are a significant issue that can hinder the wound healing process. One way to address this problem is by enhancing the antibacterial activity of wound dressings. Accordingly, this work focuses on developing a castor-oil-based antibacterial polyurethane nanocomposite film impregnated with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) decorated on the surface of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanostructures (Ag@rGO). To this aim, rGOs act as a platform to stabilize AgNPs and improve their bioavailability and dispersion quality within the PU film. The microwave-assisted synthesis of Ag@rGO nanohybrids was proved by FTIR, XRD, TGA, FE-SEM, EDS, and TEM analyses. Compared to PU/GO, the effect of Ag@rGO nanohybrids on thermo-mechanical features, morphology, antibacterial activity, cytocompatibility, and in vivo wound healing was assessed. SEM photomicrographs revealed the enhanced dispersion of Ag@rGO nanohybrids compared to GO nanosheets. Besides, according to XRD results, PU/Ag@rGO nanocomposite film demonstrated higher microphase mixing, which could be due to the finely dispersed Ag@rGO nanostructures interrupting the hydrogen bonding interactions in the hard segments. Moreover, PU/Ag@rGO nanocomposite showed excellent antibacterial behavior with completely killing E. coli and S. aureus bacteria. In vitro and in vivo wound healing studies displayed PU/Ag@rGO film effectively stimulated fibroblast cells proliferation, migration and re-epithelialization. However, the prepared antibacterial PU/Ag@rGO nanocomposite film has the potential to be used as a biomaterial for dermal wound healing applications.