Crosslinked PVA/HA Nanofibers Fabricated via Electrospinning for Potential Advanced Wound Management

Electrospun polymeric nanofiber dressings represent an innovative approach to wound care due to their high surface area and three-dimensional structure, which mimics the natural extracellular matrix (ECM). In this study, we investigate the fabrication of bioactive nanofiber (NF) dressings based on polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and hyaluronic acid (HA) using the electrospinning technique to improve wound healing. However, the high solubility of nanofibers (NFs) in aqueous environments limits their biological applications. To overcome this limitation, we propose a chemical crosslinking approach to stabilize PVA/HA nanofibers. We use thermal treatment at 150 °C and citric acid (CA) as a bio-based crosslinking agent without using organic solvents. The crosslinking process involves solid-state esterification, in which CA reacts with PVA and HA hydroxyl groups to form ester bonds. Electrospinning parameters were optimized to obtain fibers with a diameter of 130 – 200 nm, without the use of organic solvents. The chemical structure of the nanofibers is investigated by FTIR spectroscopy, while their thermal behavior is evaluated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The swelling kinetics and degradation of the nanofibers are analyzed in physiological solutions with different pH values. The results demonstrate the stabilizing effect of chemical crosslinking of PVA/HA/CA nanofibers by citric acid. These findings suggest that PVA/HA/CA could be used as promising and multifunctional wound dressings.