Antibacterial electrospun polycaprolactone fibrous membrane doped with tetrabutylammonium chloride for wound healing applications

Wound healing is a highly complex biological process, and chronic wounds are susceptible to bacterial attacks. Traditional dressings only provide basic protection, while modern dressings are expected to integrate multiple functions, such as pollution isolation and healing promotion. Electrospinning membranes have gradually become research hotspots due to their ability to simulate extracellular matrix and their large specific surface area. In this study, we prepared chitosan (CS)/polycaprolactone (PCL)/tetradecyldimethylbenzyl ammonium chloride (TDBAC) composite nanofibrous membranes via electrospinning technology. When the mass ratio of PCL to CS was 6:5, the prepared PCL/CS fibrous membrane exhibited the optimal performance, with excellent morphological characteristics, mechanical properties, and hydrophilicity. After adding different contents of the antibacterial agent TDBAC to the PCL/CS solution with this ratio to prepare composite materials, it was found that all composite materials showed good antibacterial properties, and the antibacterial effect enhanced with the increase of TDBAC content. The PCL/CS/TDBAC composite with 1 % TDBAC content (PCL/CS/TDBAC1 %) demonstrated the best comprehensive performance, with colony inhibition rates of 99.93 % and 99.94 % against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli , respectively. This composite nanofibrous membrane meets the requirements of wound dressings for anti-adhesion, liquid absorption, and biosafety, providing a feasible approach for the development of high-performance antibacterial dressings and is expected to promote the advancement of wound care materials.