Diabetes is a major contributor to overall patient morbidity and mortality, and diabetic ulcers are a significant complication due to peripheral vascular disease and neuropathy. Closure of chronic wounds, such as diabetic ulcers, is hindered by infections arising from antibiotic-resistant pathogens and compromised blood circulation. Electrospinning has been used to prepare wound dressings that are comprised of proteins closely associated with dermal tissue (e.g. gelatin, collagen) that have been shown to accelerate the healing process relative to conventional wound coverings. The scaffolds are made by electrospinning a solvated protein solution into a fibrous mat, and inclusion of antimicrobial ionic liquids/deep eutectic solvents into the scaffolds with electrospinning is readily accomplished. Choline geranate (or CAGE) is a deep eutectic solvent that can neutralize biofilms of numerous pathogens and its antibacterial properties are retained when impregnated into protein scaffolds. In this work, cholinium-based eutectic solvents with structural similarity to choline geranate (or CAGE) were synthesized and similarly impregnated into the electrospun protein scaffold. This study aims to examine the use of these new eutectic solvents within electrospun scaffolds to afford antimicrobial properties to the resultant scaffolds without compromising the material integrity of the fibrous protein mat. Antimicrobial properties of the impregnated scaffolds were examined against the fungal pathogen <i>Candida albicans</i>.

Electrospun wound healing devices containing antimicrobial eutectic solvents resist biofouling by microbial pathogens

ACS Spring Meeting 2021

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