Influence of graphene oxide and glycerol in the production of alginate textile fibers for potential application in wound dressings

This study aimed to develop and characterize alginate‐based fibers incorporating glycerol and graphene oxide (GO) for potential application in wound dressings. Fibers were prepared using 10% (w/v) sodium alginate in 100 mL of 0.1 mol L −1 NaOH, with and without the addition of 2.5% (w/w) glycerol, and varying GO concentrations (0.01%, 0.1%, 0.5%, and 1% w/w), followed by wet‐spinning into a 2% (w/v) CaCl 2 coagulation bath. Microscopy analysis confirmed the homogeneous dispersion of GO in the fiber structure. The incorporation of 0.5% (w/w) GO increased fiber tenacity by 20.95%, while glycerol addition enhanced elongation by 21.68% compared to neat alginate fibers. The combination of glycerol and 0.5% (w/w) GO improved water absorption capacity, reaching 104% water absorption. Thermal analysis (DSC and TGA) indicated that the presence of GO and glycerol contributed to enhanced thermal stability. Moreover, fibers containing 0.1% (w/w) GO inhibited E. coli bacteria by 37.21%, compared to 10.70% inhibition by pure alginate fibers. These findings demonstrate that the incorporation of GO and glycerol into alginate fibers offers a promising approach for the development of advanced wound dressings.