Conductive nanofibrous scaffold based on polyvinyl alcohol/cellulose nanocrystals/ reduced graphene oxide composite reinforced with curcumin for wound healing

Conductive polymers offer great potential in skin tissue regeneration due to the promoted cellular activity and accelerate healing process. Herein, a polymeric nanofibrous dressing was prepared based on oxidized-nanocrystal cellulose/aminated reduced graphene oxide and polyvinyl alcohol (AD-CNCs/NH2rGO/PVA) to enhance cell proliferation with electrical fields for wound healing. For this purpose, CNCs were produced from cotton cellulose and oxidized in the presence of sodium periodate. Following the synthesis of rGO and its functionalization with amine, the crosslink between oxidized CNCs and NH2rGO was created by the Schiff-base reaction. The prepared nanocomposite was mixed with PVA and different proportions of curcumin. The polymeric nanofibrous scaffolds were prepared by electrospinning. With the increase in curcumin content, the hydrophobicity of the composition and the diameter of the nanofibers increased, while the uniformity and mechanical properties were optimized. The PVA/AD-CNCs/NH2rGO/curcumin nanofibrous scaffold exhibited electrical conductivity and satisfactory thermal stability. The PVA/AD-CNCs/NH2rGO/curcumin biodegradable nanofibrous scaffold was biocompatible and presented a satisfactory performance in cell attachment, proliferation and spreading, requirements for wound healing purposes.