Surface texturing of poly vinyl alcohol/ bioactive glass composite fibrous mats for improved cell viability of fibroblast cells: A potential approach for improved wound healing

Abstract

Herein, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/ bioactive glass (BG) mats were developed using an electrospinning technique and later embossed to modify the surface roughness, wettability, and cell biology. Fabricated mats were characterized by surface topography, wettability, and thermal properties. Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) images confirmed that the embossing process significantly modified surface roughness, increasing the average roughness from 82.645 nm to 327.92 nm. This increase in roughness improved fibroblast cell attachment. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis confirmed the presence of chemical bonds, including Si-O-Si stretching from bioactive glass (BG) at 1000–1100 cm⁻¹, the hydroxyl (OH) stretching at 3000 cm⁻¹ from PVA, and the C-O stretching at 1140 cm⁻¹ attributed to the BG and PVA interaction in the mats. Thermo-Gravimetric Analysis (TGA) highlighted the composition of PVA and BG in the fabricated mats. The wettability analysis indicates a notable increase in the hydrophilic character as the contact angle of the mats after embossing significantly dropped from 19 ± 2° to 12 ± 2°. These findings suggested that the embossed PVA/BG mats increase fibroblast cell viability compared to the as-fabricated PVA/BG mats.