ROMJIST Volume 29, No. 2, 2026, pp. 155-166, DOI: 10.59277/ROMJIST.2026.2.05
Maria-Roxana MARINESCU, Ioan Valentin TUDOSE, Cristina Ionela PACHIU, Oana BRINCOVEANU, Cosmin ROMANITAN, Mirela Petruta SUCHEA, Emmanuel KOUDOUMAS, Gabriela ISOPE The Potential of Electrospun Carbon Allotrope Nanofiber Coatings in Antimicrobial Bandages
ABSTRACT: Effective antimicrobial wound dressings must combine structural stability, controlled moisture management, and sustained antibacterial activity without releasing free nanoparticles into the wound. Here, electrospun polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) nanofiber coatings incorporating three carbon allotropes—graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs), multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), and nanodiamonds (NDs)—were directly deposited onto commercial medical gauze under identical fabrication conditions. This comparative design enabled systematic evaluation of how allotrope geometry and bonding structure affect nanofiber morphology, structural organization, and antimicrobial performance. This paper presents a detailed investigation of Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), and Raman Spectroscopy, that confirmed successful incorporation of the nanocarbons within the PVP matrix while preserving the crystalline structure of the cellulose substrate. Differences in fiber diameter and structural features reflected variations in filler geometry and dispersion within the polymer network. The electrospun architecture ensured effective immobilization of nanofillers within a continuous fibrous coating firmly adhered to the textile. Antimicrobial activity, assessed by agar diffusion against Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, and Candida albicans, showed allotrope-dependent behavior. The MWCNTs composite exhibited moderate antibacterial activity against both bacterial strains, NDs showed selective action mainly against Gram-negative bacteria, and GNPs produced no measurable inhibition. The reported results have proven that the performance of the wound dressing materials depended strongly on carbon type and structural integration within the fibrous matrixKEYWORDS: Antimicrobial bandages; carbon nanomaterials; electrospunRead full text (pdf)