Integrating sol–gel with cold plasmas modified porous polycaprolactone membranes for the drug-release of silver-sulfadiazine and ketoprofen

A controlled release system composed of surface modified porous polycaprolactone (PCL) membranes combined with a layer of tetraorthosilicate (TEOS)–chitosan sol–gel was reported in this study. PCL is a hydrophobic, semi-crystalline, and biodegradable polymer with a relatively slow degradation rate. The drugs chosen for release experiments were silver-sulfadiazine (AgSD) and ketoprofen which were impregnated in the TEOS–chitosan sol–gel. The surface modification was achieved by O2 plasma and the surfaces were characterized by water contact angle (WCA) measurements, atomic force microscope (AFM), scanning electron microscope and electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA). The results showed that the release of AgSD on O2 plasma treated porous PCL membranes was prolonged when compared with the pristine sample. On the contrary, the release rate of ketoprofen revealed no significant difference on pristine and plasma treated PCL membranes. The prepared PCL membranes showed good biocompatibility for the wound dressing biomaterial applications.