Summary
Adding antibacterial zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles to biodegradable poly(d,l-lactide) (PDLLA) fibres is attractive for packaging and biomedical mats, but bare ZnO nanoparticles tend to agglomerate and bond poorly to the polymer, limiting both mechanical and antibacterial gains. This study tackles that compatibility problem by first grafting PDLLA chains onto the surface of the ZnO nanoparticles — creating ZnO-graft-poly(d,l-lactide) (ZnO-g-PDLLA) fillers — and then incorporating them into electrospun PDLLA-based mats. The grafted polymer shell improves how the nanoparticles disperse in and adhere to the PDLLA matrix. Compared with mats containing unmodified ZnO, the grafted-nanoparticle mats show improved mechanical properties and enhanced antibacterial activity, demonstrating surface grafting as an effective strategy for better polymer/nanoparticle nanocomposite fibres.