Fabrication of bio-based polyurethane nanofibers incorporated with a triclosan/cyclodextrin complex for antibacterial applications

Abstract

A hybrid polyol consisting of a polycaprolactone diol/castor oil mixture was used to synthesize a biopolyurethane (BPU) that has a dendritic point but is soluble in organic solvents. The chemical structure of the obtained BPU was determined using Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The mechanical properties of the electrospun BPU nanofiber were confirmed using a universal testing machine. To enhance the solubility of triclosan (TR), TR–cyclodextrin (CD) complexes were prepared. αCD, βCD, and γCD were used to study the formation of the TR–CD complexes using a coprecipitation technique. The results showed that TR did not form a complex with αCD, whereas it forms complexes partially with βCD and completely with γCD. These findings are supported by FT-IR, differential scanning calorimetry, and X-ray diffraction analyses. The electrospun BPU/TR–CD nanofibers were investigated in terms of morphology, releasing behavior, and antibacterial tests. The BPU/TR–γCD nanofiber shows better antibacterial activity than the others. The results obtained in this study are expected to broaden the range of biobased polyurethane applications where antibacterial properties are required.