Fabricating alginate/poly(caprolactone) nanofibers with enhanced bio-mechanical properties via cellulose nanocrystal incorporation

•PCL/ CaAlg nanofibers were successfully produced using hybrid electrospinning.•CNC was synthesized successfully and incorporated into nanofiber constructs.•CNC nanoparticles improved the biological and mechanical properties of nanofibers.•The CaAlg portion promoted cell attachment, growth, and proliferation.•Produced constructs are great candidates for tissue engineering applications. In this research, cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) was synthesized from cotton waste using controlled hydrolysis against 64 % (w/w) sulfuric acid solution. The produced nanoparticles were then characterized using FTIR, XRD, TGA, and DLS analyses. Biaxial electrospinning technique was used to produce CNC incorporated PCL-PVA/NaAlg nanofibers. The sodium alginate portion was then crosslinked via submerging the samples in calcium chloride aqueous solution. The CNC incorporated and crosslinked sample was characterized using SEM, FTIR, and TGA techniques. Results confirmed the presence of CNC nanoparticles and alginate crosslinking reaction. Mechanical studies showed that CNC incorporation increases the tensile modulus by 65 %. Also, the crosslinked samples exhibited an increase in elongation at break. Water contact angle studies suggested that CNC incorporation and crosslinking improves nanofiber hydrophilicity. Cell viability of more than 90 % was observed in CNC incorporated PCL-CaAlg nanofibers. Also, SEM images of cells on nanofiber scaffolds showed better cell growth and attachment in PCL-CaAlg-CNC samples.