Employing PVP/PEDOT: PSS/HTCC to Develop a Multifunctional 3D Electrospun PVA Fiber Scaffold That Exhibits Biocompatibility, Conductivity, and Antibacterial Properties

Abstract

ABSTRACT Tissue engineering has advanced the field of regenerative medicine by utilizing scaffolds to support tissue repair. To develop a multifunctional scaffold, polymers with complementary properties are combined. Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) were selected as biocompatible matrices, with PEDOT:PSS added for conductivity and HTCC for antibacterial functionality. Two optimization strategies are applied: one examined the effects of PEDOT:PSS and PVP content and voltage on fiber diameter and crosslinking, while the other evaluated PEDOT:PSS concentration on electrical conductivity. Both identified 4 wt% PEDOT:PSS as optimal, resulting in enhanced scaffold performance and improved cell proliferation. The optimized PVA/PVP/PEDOT:PSS blend is co‐electrospun with a PVA/PVP/HTCC solution to fabricate a hybrid scaffold. The final structure shows a fiber diameter of 205 ± 12 nm, gel content of 93.4% ± 1.1%, and porosity of 73.6% ± 2.3%. At 4 wt% PEDOT:PSS, conductivity reached ~10 −5 S·cm −1 , over 10 4 times greater than the control. L929 fibroblast viability was 97.7% ± 3.0%, with a 2.3‐fold cell density increase over 5 days. HTCC addition achieves > 6‐log bacterial reduction and lowers enzymatic degradation from 38% to 21%. The resulting scaffold offers excellent conductivity, antibacterial activity, and cytocompatibility, making it a strong candidate for electroactive tissue engineering.