Abstract
Infections are still the major challenge of the successful application of biomaterials. Also, the cytotoxicity caused by the high concentration of metal ions is a primary concern with antibacterial biomaterials. In this study, template-assisted magnetron sputtering was used to fabricate Ag/Zn galvanic couples composited poly (ε-caprolactone)/gelatin (Ag/Zn@PCL/Gel) electroactive antibacterial scaffold. The electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy detector, and X-ray diffractometry results proved that Ag/Zn coating uniformly covered the PCL/Gel nanofiber surface. The developed Ag/Zn@PCL/Gel scaffold showed efficient antibacterial activity against S. aureus (97.22%) and E. coli (96.93%), which depended on the synergistic effect of microscale electric fields, metal ions, and reactive oxygen species. The coating area of Ag/Zn dots on the PCL/Gel nanofibrous scaffold is 10.62%, accompanied by a low released Ag+ concentration (≤0.13 mg/L after soaking for 24 h). The cytotoxicity assessment showed no cytotoxicities, and the histopathological analysis revealed no discernible harm to host tissues. Overall, this facile and green template-assisted magnetron sputtering method offers a new strategic direction for designing electroactive antibacterial materials with good biocompatibility.
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