Engineering Electrospun PCL / PEO Membranes With ECM ‐Like Architecture and Tunable Hydrophilicity as Functional Wound Dressings

ABSTRACT Skin injuries resulting from trauma, burns, or chronic conditions such as diabetes often require advanced medical interventions, as conventional dressings provide only passive protection with limited exudate absorption and minimal contribution to healing. In this study, electrospun poly(ε‐caprolactone)/poly(ethylene oxide) (PCL/PEO) membranes were engineered to couple extracellular matrix (ECM)‐like architecture with tunable wettability, fluid absorption, and degradation to achieve enhanced wound closure. By adjusting electrospinning parameters, uniform fibers (2.4–7.4 μm) with porosity of 63%–77% and pore sizes of 17–25 μm were obtained. FTIR analysis confirmed the successful blend of PCL and PEO, while wettability, fluid absorption, and membrane degradation increased proportionally with PEO content; the optimized PCL7:1PEO membrane exhibited a contact angle below 60° and fluid uptake of 361%. Biological assays demonstrated preserved cytocompatibility and enhanced fibroblast migration, achieving wound closure of 86.8% ± 14.6% for PCL7:1PEO compared with 68.3% ± 7.7% for pristine PCL and 75.6% ± 3.8% for the control. These findings highlight the potential of PCL/PEO electrospun membranes as functional wound dressings, offering prolonged use, improved fluid management, and a favorable microenvironment for tissue repair, representing a promising alternative to conventional treatments.