Electrospun PVDF Nanofiber Mats Embedded with Silver Nanocubes for Antibacterial Wound Dressing

The increasing prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria necessitates the development of advanced multifunctional materials for infection control and biomedical applications. In this study, electrospun nanofibrous mats composed of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) and well-defined silver nanocubes (AgNCs) were developed as antibacterial and functional composite membranes. Rheological analysis was employed to optimize the viscoelastic properties of PVDF solutions, enabling stable electrospinning and the formation of uniform, bead-free nanofibers. The incorporation of AgNCs significantly influenced the structure–property relationships of the nanofibers. A notable reduction in fiber diameter was observed (1.45 ± 0.53 μm to 0.28 ± 0.10 μm), attributed to enhanced solution conductivity and jet stretching. FTIR analysis revealed an increase in the electroactive β-phase fraction from 79 to 82% at 5 wt % AgNCs loading, indicating improved dipolar alignment and crystallinity. Mechanical testing demonstrated a substantial enhancement in tensile strength (∼3×), while contact angle measurements showed improved surface wettability. Morphological and compositional analyses confirmed the uniform distribution of AgNCs within the nanofibrous matrix. The PVDF–AgNCs nanofibers exhibited strong antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, attributed to the high surface area of Ag nanocubes and their sustained interaction with bacterial cells. Overall, this work demonstrates that AgNCs incorporation enables simultaneous tuning of morphology, crystallinity, and functional performance, highlighting the potential of PVDF–AgNCs nanofibers for advanced antibacterial and biomedical applications.