Wound dressing candidate materials based on casted films of cellulose acetate modified with zirconium oxide (ZrO₂), and gallium oxide (Ga₂O₃)

Developing biomaterial to fit with wound healing applications is still a challenge. In this work, a modified biomaterial based on a combination of nanoparticles in polymeric casted films is investigated. Different nanoparticles are added to the cellulose acetate (CA) scaffold to enhance the biological activity. Gallium oxide (Ga₂O₃), zirconium oxide (ZrO₂), and graphene oxide (GO) are encapsulated in CA scaffolds. The used tests for the film examination were X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR),), and scanning electron microscopy/ Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDX). EDX analysis showed the percentage of each element in a selected area. For example, oxygen has the highest ratio (44.76 w%) due to its presence in CA and the nanoparticles. It was shown that cell viability has been promoted via the additives of nanoparticles into the polymeric films. The cell viability ratio reached about 120 % at a concentration of nearly 86 μg/ml. Adding the nanoparticles to the scaffold decreases the contact angle of CA. The pure CA showed a constant angle equal to 40.9 ° ± 3.1 while the lowest angle 27.1° ± 0.9 is obtained after adding Ga₂O₃ and ZrO₂ to CA. In this regard, the significant improvement of these scaffolds containing nanoparticles might be sufficient to be suggested for clinical applications including the usage of these films for wound healing applications.