Inkjet printing of polyurethane micro/nanofibers using TiO2 and Ag NPs on as‐spun mats for enhancing tissue engineering applications

Abstract This study demonstrates the use of inkjet printing technology to directly deposit nanoparticles (NPs) onto polyurethane (PU) micro/nanofibers. The biocompatibility of as‐spun fibers was enhanced by depositing titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) and silver (Ag) NPs, which were synthesized using quince apple extract. The scanning electron microscope showed the presence of NPs on printed fibers. The Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis revealed a vibrational bond of TiOO around 564.5 cm −1 and broadness in a peak around 3458.8 cm −1 due to printed NPs. A significant decrease in the contact angle from 106.2 ± 1.1° to 73.1 ± 1.0° was observed. The printing also altered the tensile properties of pristine PU mats. An increase in the tensile strength from 6.48 to 7.83 MPa was seen. The printed mats having Ag NPs showed inhibitory properties against gram‐positive and negative bacterial strains. The maximum inhibition zones measuring 10.4 ± 0.10 mm against Escherichia coli and 10.1 ± 0.06 mm against Staphylococcus aureus were observed. The in‐vitro studies showed higher cellular viability in printed nanofibers. Moreover, the cell attachment results using 4,6‐diamidino‐2‐phenylindole (DAPI) staining revealed a uniform distribution of cells in TiO 2 and Ag NPs deposited mats. The inkjet printing can be a simple technique to post‐modify micro/nanofiber with different materials to create an advanced biocompatible material.