Performance Study of ZnO-TPU/CS Bilayer Composite Electrospinning Scaffold in Skin Wound Healing

Jinlong Wang¹Guoxing Huang¹Quan Qin¹Nianhua Dan²Xin-Lou Li¹Kai Sun³Yuan Yang¹Meng Wang^1*

• ¹the Ninth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital,, Beijing, China
• ²Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
• ³Chinese People's Liberation Army Rocket Force Characteristic Medical Center, Beijing, China

The high incidence of skin injuries and the limitations of conventional dressings have driven the development of novel wound dressings. In this study, a bilayer nanofibrous scaffold composed of thermoplastic polyurethane/chitosan loaded with zinc oxide nanoparticles (TPU/CS@ZnO) was fabricated via electrospinning and systematically evaluated for its potential to promote wound healing. The bilayer design comprised a hydrophobic TPU outer layer to provide waterproof protection, and a hydrophilic TPU/CS@ZnO inner layer to enhance bioactivity. A bilayer fibrous scaffold was fabricated with a base-layer fiber diameter of 231.81 ± 44.85 nm. The construct demonstrated a tensile strength of 8.42 ± 0.58 MPa and Young's modulus of 17.96 ± 0.78 MPa, with distinct hydrophilic properties evidenced by water contact angles of 52.68° ± 4.46° (inner layer) and 113.60° ± 2.85° (outer layer). In vitro studies revealed enhanced cellular proliferation and adhesion compared to controls. Animal testing showed that scaffold-treated wounds achieved over 90% closure at day 14, demonstrating accelerated healing relative to untreated groups. This regenerative effect suggests associations with cellular adhesion mechanisms, angiogenic processes, and immunomodulatory functions observed during histological evaluation. This study confirms that the TPU/CS@ZnO scaffold combines favourable physicochemical properties with excellent bioactivity, offering a robust theoretical basis for the development of multifunctional wound dressings. Future investigations are warranted to further explore the molecular mechanisms involved and to advance clinical translation.