A Semi-transparent Strong Biomimetic Wound Healing Material: Zinc Oxide and Sodium Alginate Based Bi-layer Nanofiber Membrane

Wound healing is a critical process that significantly impacts patient health and places a substantial burden on healthcare systems. This study aimed to develop and evaluate transparent composite nanofibrous membranes with enhanced biological functionality as advanced wound dressing materials. We hypothesized that the incorporation of sodium alginate (NaAlg) or zinc oxide (ZnO) into electrospun polymer nanofibers, combined with the use of a conductive aluminum mesh during fiber collection, would result in membranes with locally aligned nanofibers, enabling optical transparency, biocompatibility, and mechanical properties. By using a 1.58 mm aluminum square mesh as a fiber collector during electrospinning of polycaprolactone (PCL)/ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH), we fabricated composite fiber membranes with varying concentrations of NaAlg (1–5% w/v) or ZnO (1–3% w/v). The use of the conductive mesh led to partial alignment of the nanofibers, enhancing light transmission and achieving notable optical transparency (up to 40% for NaAlg and 22% for ZnO). These membranes also exhibited a bi-layer structural configuration, robust mechanical properties (12–13 MPa), and optimal water vapor transmission rates (WVTR, 1400–1700 g/m