PEDOT:PSS based electrospun nanofibres used as trigger for fibroblasts differentiation

Electrospun nanofibres based on poly(styrene sulfonate) doped poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT:PSS) were fabricated using a straightforward procedure which combines electrospinning, sputtering deposition and electrochemical synthesis. In general, electrospun fibre meshes based on conducting polymers are prepared by mixing the conducting polymer with a carrier polymer or chemically coverage of the fibres. In contrast, freestanding nylon 6/6 nanofibre webs were prepared through electrospinning and were coated by sputtering with gold in order to make them conductive. Further, a PEDOT:PSS layer was electrochemically deposited onto the metalized nanofibre meshes and the synthesis parameters were chosen in such a way to preserve the high active area of the fibres. The prepared material was morphologically characterized and the formation of PEDOT:PSS was also demonstrated. The PEDOT:PSS coated nanofibres revealed remarkable electrical properties (sheet resistance of about 3.5 Ω cm⁻²), similar to those of metalized nanofibres (sheet resistance around 3 Ω cm2). The in vitro studies using L929 fibroblast mouse cells showed that the bioactive material has no cytotoxic effect and allows proliferation. Moreover, after 72 h of incubation, the fibroblasts shrunk their nuclei and spread suggesting that a differentiation in myofibroblast occurs without application of any kind of external stimuli. These results will be helpful for developing efficient materials for wound healing applications that work without energy consumption.