UC San Diego

Serious injuries occur every day and while medical technology has improved greatly in recent years, people still experience severe complications including death. While preventing an injury is the best way to avoid complications, it is an unrealistic goal. The development of materials to lessen the negative consequences of a serious injury is a major focus of the biomaterials community, and while a variety of products have been commercialized recently, there is still a strong need for improvement. Polymeric nanofibers have gained significant attention in the biomedical community and have shown great use in drug delivery, tissue engineering, and for use as advanced bandages. A high-throughput melt-processing technique was recently developed to produce polymeric nanofibers and is particularly useful for fabricating polyester-based materials. Subsequent photochemical modifications have shown great utility in producing functional nanofiber materials for use in a variety of biomedical applications. Described herein is the development of functional poly(ε-caprolactone) nanofibers to aid in the wound healing process by imparting antibacterial and blood clot enhancing characteristics utilizing a grafting-from surface-initiated polymerization technique. Further work is shown on expanding the chemistries and capabilities of this technology to widen the breadth of useful applications.