Electrospun PAN/ZnO/CuO Nanofibers: Investigation of Microstructure and Antibacterial Activity

Abstract

Antibacterial polymeric nanofibers derived from PAN nanofibers exhibit remarkable promise for a variety of applications in the biomedical field. In this study, we explored the incorporation of zinc oxide and copper oxide nanoparticles into PAN/ZnO/CuO nanofibers, which were meticulously fabricated using the electrospinning technique complemented by an ex-situ generation method. The structural properties of the PAN/ZnO/CuO nanofibers were characterized through XRD analysis, which confirmed a significant interaction between the ZnO/CuO nanoparticles and the electrospun PAN matrix. Additionally, FE-SEM and AFM imaging provided compelling visual evidence that the ZnO/CuO nanoparticles are uniformly distributed throughout the PAN nanofiber network, indicating a well-integrated composite structure. To evaluate their potential for clinical use, we rigorously tested the antibacterial efficacy of the PAN/ZnO/CuO nanofibers against a range of bacterial strains commonly found in hospital environments. The results were promising, revealing that these composite nanofibers exhibit a pronounced antibacterial effect against several pathogens, including Salmonella, Shigella, Escherichia coli, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Staphylococcus aureus. Such findings suggest that these advanced nanofibers could play a crucial role in enhancing infection control measures in medical settings.