ZIF-8 enriched electrospun ethyl cellulose/polyvinylpyrrolidone scaffolds: The key role of polyvinylpyrrolidone molecular weight

A set of zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) incorporated ethyl cellulose/polyvinylpyrrolidone scaffolds was prepared by electrospinning method. The impact of polyvinylpyrrolidone molecular weight on characteristics of prepared scaffolds was investigated. The ethyl cellulose/polyvinylpyrrolidone scaffold made of polyvinylpyrrolidone 17,000 showed the narrowest nanofibers (mean diameter = 140 nm), the highest percentages of porosity (62%) and swelling (>130%), the most hydrophilic surface (water contact angle = 74°), the fastest rate of degradation, and the best elongation at break (6.3%) among the samples. Furthermore, the higher capability of this scaffold for cell proliferation was revealed through MTT test (125% after 5 days of culture), Live/Dead assay, and FESEM images of cell attachment. This scaffold also represented the highest released amount of ZIF-8-induced Zn2+ ions (20 ppm after 84 h) leading to its greatest antibacterial activity. These findings indicated that the ZIF-8 incorporated ethyl cellulose/polyvinylpyrrolidone scaffold can be used in future skin tissue-engineered constructs.