Well-ordered and visual poly(ε-caprolactone) composite fibrous membranes for the treatment of skin wounds

Three dimensional (3D) printing near-field electrospinning (NFES) process is a robust method to fabricate fibrous membranes by depositing solid nanofibers in a direct, continuous and controlled manner. In this study, poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) solutions were electrospun into composite fibrous membranes with an ordered geometric pore structure by the 3D printing NFES technique. The bioceramic hardystonite (Ca2ZnSi2O7, ZnCS) was added to the PCL fibrous membranes to stimulate epithelial cell and fibroblast proliferation, and adhesion. Meanwhile, the fluorescent material of tetraphenylene (TPE) with easy identification, high sensitivity, and real-time response was added to the PCL fibrous membrane to better observe the wound healing process. The magnitude of the electric field strength and distribution of a single-needle near-field electrospinning system is studied based on the size of the actual device. Furthermore, we analyzed the effect of voltage, distance, and position on the electric field strength based on the simulation results. The results indicated that the composite scaffold was nontoxic, and the cells could adhere, proliferate and differentiate effectively on the composite fibrous membrane scaffold, which could effectively promote wound healing. This PCL/ZnCS/TPE composite fibrous membrane with a controllable structure and pore size is suitable for tissue engineering and medical wound dressing.