Electrospun chitosan nanofibers with controlled levels of silver nanoparticles. Preparation, characterization and antibacterial activity

•AgNPs were chemically reduced in CTS electrospinning solution.•CTS/AgNPs nanofiber were well fabricated by electrospinning.•AgNPs content could be adjusted to control antibacterial effect.•AgNPs were uniformly dispersed in chitosan nanofiber and characterized in detail.•CTS/AgNPs showed good antibacterial activity against wound-invading bacteria. The ideal wound dressing would have properties that allow for absorption of exudates, and inhibition of microorganism for wound protection. In this study, we utilized an electrospinning (ELSP) technique to design a novel wound dressing. Chitosan (CTS) nanofibers containing various ratios of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were obtained. AgNPs were generated directly in the CTS solution by using a chemical reduction method. The formation and presence of AgNPs in the CTS/AgNPs composite was confirmed by x-ray diffraction (XRD), ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The electrospun CTS/AgNPs nanofibers were characterized morphologically by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). These nanofibers were subsequently tested to evaluate their antibacterial activity against gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) and gram-positive Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Results of this antibacterial testing suggest that CTS/AgNPs nanofibers may be effective in topical antibacterial treatment in wound care.