Electrospun Ribbon‐Like Microfiber Films of a Novel Guanidine‐Based ABA Triblock Copolymer: Fabrication, Antibacterial Activity, and Cytotoxicity

Guanidine-based polymers have emerged as potential candidates for antibacterial agents and materials due to their high antibacterial property, no cytotoxicity, no bacterial resistance, and so on. A novel antimicrobial poly(methacryl guanidine hydrochloride)-block-polystyrene-block-poly(methacryl guanidine hydrochloride) (PMAGH-b-PS-b-PMAGH) is electrospun to ribbon-like microfiber films for the first time. The electrospinning process parameters affecting structure and morphology of the ribbon-like microfibers, including concentration, voltage, and feeding rate are systematically investigated. The mechanism inducing the formation of ribbon-like fibers with a positively charged polymer is proposed and verified. PMAGH-b-PS-b-PMAGH microfiber films can inhibit 96% of Escherichia coli and 92% of Bacillus subtilis, and are not cytotoxic to mouse embryonic fibroblasts, but instead, provide a larger surface area for cell adherent growth.